Hidden in the Shadows
by Whosaskingyo
Summary: When eliminating a growing threat to the world he lives and breathes, Asami stumbles across Akihito who draws him in like a moth to flame. However, not all is as it seems, and Akihito has a few skeletons in his own closet. Warning: Will probably be ridiculously long and filled with an absurd amount of explicit content.
1. Chapter 1

Edit: Fixed Formatting Errors.

Chapter 1

The air was thick, far too thick. The acrid smell of smoke clung to the walls and the pungent aroma of expensive liquors became stronger and invaded the man's nostrils as he hurried down the dark and narrow corridor. Reaching up with a small linen cloth to wipe away the beads of sweat now forming on his forehead, the man looked back over his shoulder nervously, thankful to see his few remaining men still right behind him.

The last visit had been the worst yet.

Briefly squeezing his eyes, the man shook the gruesome thoughts away before continuing to the end of the winding hallway, stopping at a heavy, oak door guarded by two men in pristine suits. The man could hear soft talking from behind the door, but no distinct words, and determined this room must have been the fresh source of smoke that threatened to suffocate him at any given moment. Clearing his throat, the man braved himself to finally speak, trying to sound the confident authority he once was and not the frightened, pitiful man he now is, "I-I have an appointment. It was confirmed with-" the man was cut off by one of the guards lifting a finger to his hear and speaking so softly he couldn't hear a word.

Perhaps it was the blood rushing in his ears or overwhelming tension he felt, but the man stood petrified as he waited for something, anything.

After what seemed like hours but was merely minutes filled with the nervous shuffling of his subordinates and his own frantic heartbeat, the oak door slowly opened and the man was greeted by a pretty hostess who bowed slightly before gesturing for the men to follow her.

Seeing no other options, the man hesitantly stepped forward into the dimly lit room and fought back the urge to cough as his lungs were invaded by the lingering smoke in the air. The heavy 'thud' of the door closing jolted him out of his stupor and he quickly straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin, attempting to imply confidence and strength, however his grim expression and the utter terror in his subordinates eyes quickly gave away his false bravado.

Approaching a small circle of lavish furniture where several figures sat with their backs to him, the man counted at least five heads and several trails of smoke floating upwards as the figures continued to talk and laugh quietly as if he was not there. The man stopped before two more pristine guards who hardly batted an eye in his direction, as if he was insignificant, hardly a threat to be considered. A feeling of anger suddenly welled in his chest and the man signaled for his men to remain as he marched past the guards and around to face the couch and confront the figures ignoring him.

How dare they, did they know who he was? He was-

The man stopped dead in his tracks and ceased to breathe as he suddenly realized there was a cold, metal barrel of a gun pressed directly to his forehead and slowly shifted his eyes, trying desperately not to tremble as his gaze was met by the unmistakable golden eyes. The gun cocked against his forehead and the man shut his eyes, gulping as the holder of the gun turned the corner of his mouth upwards into a smirk.

"Hello Ogata-san, I don't believe we've formally met. I'm Asami Ryuichi."

The last sound was the gun firing.

* * *

A small trickle of blood slipped from the man's right ear and pooled against his neck as he stood frozen in shock, Asami smirking at him as the smoke from the barrel of his gun began to dissipate and plaster crumbled slightly surrounding the new hole in the wall.

Holstering his weapon back inside the jacket of his suit, Asami accepted the freshly poured scotch offered to him by Kirishima who stood quietly next to him, hardly batting an eye at the events, and sipped it slowly before returning his gaze to the man in front of him, "I assume you to be much calmer now, yes?" Asami asked with a hint of warning in his voice.

No one attempted to confront Asami Ryuichi in such a manner and he would not tolerate ill manners or unnecessary tempers.

The man could only nod before he took a step back and sat on a long, empty couch, staring wide eyed ahead as he tried to regain his composure. It was a few moments before the shock finally seemed to wear off and his hands stopped trembling before the man licked his dry lips and opened his mouth, trying to find the words he had practiced over and over but coming up empty.

Asami narrowed his eyes and spoke, effectively cutting off any attempt at the man's vocalization, "I'm a very busy man Ogata-san, and I would suggest you spit it out before I have you escorted from the premises."

Quickly snapping into the moment at the threat, Ogata opened his mouth and was unable to close it as sentence after rambling sentence began to fall from his lips, "Asami-sama, sir, I've come to request your services. You see, I have a very serious problem, one which I am unable to solve on my own and I desperately need your assistance. Asami-sama please, I beg you." The man started when Asami began to show disinterest, "This man, this, creature. It's unstoppable. I've tried but all I succeed in doing is sacrificing more of my men's lives. This is all that is left of us." Ogata then gestured to the pitiful group of men shuffling behind the sitting area, "Please Asami-sama, we've never been a threat to you and I intend to keep things that way, I will pay everything I have for your services. Name your price. I need you capture him and bring him to me alive so that I can take my revenge and restore the faith of my men."

Asami raised a hand to cut the now panting Ogata off and sipped his scotch, closing his eyes as he savored the liquid briefly, "While your story is as sad and pitiful as you present yourself, Ogata-san, I fail to see how this affects or benefits me in any manner." Asami's sharp eyes cut into the man like a knife and he shrunk in on himself, leading Asami to continue, "Why should I risk the lives of my own men to capture this "man" you keep referring to just so you can take the sadistic pleasure in torturing him? Believe me, Ogata-san, I know very well about your methods and practices. Frankly, torturing innocent people for pleasure is not something I have any interest in. How am I to be sure this isn't your way of getting me to hand deliver you your final victim? As you very well must know, seeing as how you consider yourself so thoroughly researched on myself and my affairs, I am not a human trafficker."

The words cut through Ogata like fire as he realizes he is losing the interest of Asami and very rapidly. He trembles slightly as he begins to understand there is no other way to convince the man before him, finally gesturing to one of his men, causing a large, blonde guard to instantly raise his gun in that direction and he reaches for the large manila envelope being handed to him by his subordinate.

Asami raises his hand once more, signaling for Suoh to holster his weapon as his curiosity is piqued by the envelope that is now being torn open by Ogata, who pulls out a large cluster of photos before throwing them on the ground in front of Asami, closing his eyes to them before looking up to meet the golden gaze with all the confidence he once had, "These are my men. What's left of them, at least."

Ogata swallows hard but does not avert his gaze before continuing, "At first it was one or two guys just not showing up for duty, disappearing into thin air. I thought that there may have been a group of traitors who were attempting to escape with any valuable information they had. But then the numbers started to increase, and soon my men were reporting that they felt as if they were being watched. At home, in the office, walking alone or in groups, day or night, that someone was watching them. And each time someone new would disclose these feelings, they were gone within twenty-four hours. I began to suspect someone had put a hit out on me and was attempting to thin the herd before attacking, however the more I dug the more frequently my men disappeared. Then, the body parts began showing up." Ogata gestured to one of the photos depicting an arm severed at the shoulder and wrapped in parchment paper, "Fingers, ears, sometimes entire limbs. My men were beginning to panic, we had lost at least half our numbers and anyone could have been the next victim to this unknown threat."

Asami swirled his glass absentmindedly appearing to entertain Ogata's story, however Kirishima could tell his boss was intrigued by the unfolding events as Ogata took a deep breath before he continued.

"I decided to call a meeting, I thought if I could get them all together at once, calm their fears and instead rally their need for revenge and closure as something productive, that I could beat whoever or whatever was after me. Instead it only made things worse." Ogata shut his eyes and swallowed the lump in his throat as the memories washed over him, "He came out of nowhere. We were all sitting around and talking, mourning the loss and trying to cope with the situation when it was as if a fountain of blood erupted from the middle of the group. It was over in a flash, I hardly remember what happened. All I know is when I came to all that remained was this small group and the rest of my men…they were massacred."

Ogata then gestured to the rest of the photos which showed varying methods and intensity of kills, some of the men simply had their throats slashed. Others were hacked into pieces, limbs torn from their bodies and eyes gouged out. One man's blank eyes stared into the camera as his hands clutched at his entrails as he had desperately attempted to pull himself back together where he had been clearly cut in half at the waist.

Asami frowned as he studied the images, the kill methods were extreme, over the top as if this was a crime of passion. However there wasn't something quite right, the marks the killer made were confident and efficient, it was almost as if he was having…fun with it. As if the extreme methods were a game, and Asami fought the urge to smirk. Now this was interesting.

"While I comprehend your issue Ogata I still fail to see how this would in any way affect or benefit me." Asami pulled his box of Dunhills from his pocket and placed a cancer stick between his lips, where Kirishima instantly lit the end of the cigarette. Asami breathed in the nicotine slowly before hardening his gaze to meet Ogata's, patience beginning to wear thin once more.

Quickly Ogata gathered himself under Asami's intense stare before mustering the courage to once again speak, "It is not affecting you now but who's to say that this man won't come after you eventually? I'm offering you any amount you ask in payment and the opportunity to be rid of this potential threat before he grows any stronger." Ogata looked pleadingly at Asami once more before bowing low to the ground, touching his forehead to the floor, "Please, Asami-sama. I beg you."

Smirking, Asami tried not to scoff at the notion that this "man" was any potential threat to him. His organization was much larger and practically impenetrable in comparison to the lowly man before him. However Ogata's desperation and pleading amused Asami and he decided his interest in this mystery assassin was enough to push him to a decision. "Twenty million upfront. If it's not paid within 12 hours the deal is off. The remaining sum will be determined when this "man" has been captured. Send any information you have to Kirishima so we can begin creating a list of possible names." Asami made a move to stand up and exit the room but stopped when Ogata spoke up once more.

"Asami-sama, wait. You don't have to find him, I know who he is."

Asami raised a questioning eyebrow but did not speak, prompting Ogata to continue.

"I saw him, when he attacked us. I was able to run his description through a database and the license photo that appeared matched him perfectly." Ogata took a deep breath before uttering, "His name is Takaba Akihito."

A.N.

I really enjoyed writing this and I have a lot of ideas and plans and thoughts that I want to explore. Feedback is always appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

Hello! I'm so happy with the positive feedback I received from the first chapter. I tried to make this one longer but I was worried I was putting way too much content into one setting so I cut myself off where I did for a reason. I rewrote a lot of this as I kept getting concerned the characters seemed OOC so I hope they don't appear that way too much. Also a lot of people will probably be very confused and I will get angry cries of "WHAT?" after this is uploaded but trust me you're supposed to be confused at this point. I promise this story will have a resolution that cleans up everything. Eventually. Thank you for reading!

Chapter 2

Akihito checked his bag for a third time as he hurried out of the small, one bedroom apartment located in a shady district just outside the bustling heart of Tokyo. He was running late, as per usual, with one shoe untied and half his shirt tucked in as he hurried down the stairs of his building, hastily pulling himself together before straddling his parked Vespa and quickly taking off into traffic, his bag still sitting on the ground where he was once parked.

Suoh let out a rare groan of immense frustration and wiped the palm of his hand over the length of his face. It had been a week since he and the rest of Asami's men began following this Takaba Akihito, scoping him out to see if he truly was the man Ogata had claimed.

So far, Suoh was not convinced, nor impressed.

Like clockwork, the Vespa came speeding back to its original starting point and the young man on it grabbed the bag before taking off once again, prompting Suoh himself to follow pursuit a few moments later.

Asami Ryuichi slammed his phone down onto the mahogany wood of his large desk, annoyance clear in his eyes as he finished reading the short update from Suoh. A large hand ran through his hair as he tossed back a glass of brandy.

He was getting nowhere and he knew it.

Kirishima stood attentively before him, holding several stacks of reports that needed overlooked but knew better than to present them right this moment, Asami would need a few minutes and perhaps a cigarette or two in order to cool his rising temper and gather his thoughts.

Clearing his throat after a few moments, Kirishima swallowed before opening his mouth, "Asami-sama, here are the reports following Takaba Akihito over this past week. Ah, I must say," Kirishima started as he laid the reports across Asami's desk, "He's not quite what I'd expect an assassin of that caliber to be. In fact, quite the opposite. He's a photographer for a local agency who does mostly crime photography, he's definitely agile and athletic based on the shots he takes and the tasks he completes but he's also quite clumsy and forgetful. He lives very modestly, when checking his bank statements it was made abundantly clear that he lives paycheck to paycheck. He has no offshore accounts that money could be being placed into. We checked those of his relatives as well and found nothing, neither of his parents are alive and he's an only child. If he is an assassin, he's not working for anyone. His only social interactions, other than that of his work, seem to be with two young men similar in age to him who were both cleared as well. They're classmates of his that he meets once a week for sushi in Shinjuku. Suoh has been tailing him for a week, watching his apartment and nothing has seemed out of the ordinary. We even had some men break in while he was on assignment and turn the place upside down, they found nothing as well. Asami-sama, if I may, this Takaba Akihito seems like a normal member of society. I believe the only evidence connecting him to this unnamed assassin is Ogata's eyewitness."

Asami laced his fingers together and rested his chin atop his hands as he stared down at the reports in front of him. Lingering his eyes over the photograph paper clipped to one of the sheets, Asami reached down and picked it up as he studied the boy in the photo.

Light, ashy blonde hair, bright blue eyes and creamy skin, he hardly looked Japanese but his records stated otherwise. The boy was the epitome of beauty with delicate features and his practically luminescent skin. Asami was captivated by those blue eyes that seemed to hold all the innocence and carefree ideals he perhaps held himself once, and began feeling disgust coil in his gut.

It was clear to him at this point that this had in fact had been Ogata's attempt at tricking Asami into delivering him a pretty boy to have his way with.

Laying the photo back down on his desk, Asami leaned back into his large leather chair and turned slightly, staring out the large expanse of windows behind his desk and into the setting sun over Tokyo. It was a few moments before he finally spoke, his voice jolting a tense Kirishima, "Instruct Suoh to return to Sion tomorrow morning and resume normal duties. He is to return home tonight and rest."

Kirishima nodded and bowed before beginning to exit the room when Asami's voice stopped him as he was halfway out the door, "Kirishima. Tomorrow I would like for you to speak with him. Approach him under false pretenses, measure his personal interactions and see if anything stands out to you about the boy. The way he talks, his body language, anything to indicate he's lying or hiding something. Report back to me as soon as you are finished." Asami then turned his back completely, seemingly lost in thought as he stared out the expanse of windows once more, watching the sun melt into the horizon. Kirishima bowed once more before closing the door as he exited the office, a bad feeling pooling in his gut, one he could not quite place.

* * *

It was dark outside when Akihito finally arrived home. Toeing his shoes off at the door he slammed his keys onto the small table and turned to lock the deadbolt, sighing as he did.

He was absolutely exhausted.

Heading into the kitchen he pulled open the fridge, frowning at the sparse contents laid in front of him. Akihito pulled a jug of milk out and checked the expiration date, two weeks ago, and rolled his eyes before tossing it into the garbage can behind him and reaching further in to instead pull out a few small oranges. Realizing this was the best he was probably going to get, Akihito turned and set to work peeling them over the bare countertop, digging into the tough exterior with his thumb nail at the top of the orange before he began peeling, smirking as he remembered the trick his mother had taught him as a boy.

Leaning forward to rest his elbows on the counter top, Akihito let out a soft sigh of content as he popped the fresh orange slice into his mouth and thought of his mother once more. When he was younger she would take him to the markets every day and let him pick out one fruit, and every day Akihito would stare wide eyed at the varieties laid out before him: strawberries, blueberries, bananas, apples, anything he could possible dream of. However every day he would pick the same thing, the sweet oranges found at the very last stall.

As he finished up the remaining orange slices, Akihito let out a soft groan as he stretched his arms high above his head, popping his back and shoulders as he did so, and began peeling off his clothes as he headed to the small bedroom and into the adjoining bath.

Fully stripped he began turning the knobs in the small cramped shower stall, frowning as he tried to find a suitable temperature and groaning as he realized he wasn't going to get anything hotter than a mild lukewarm. Taking a deep breath, Akihito braved himself as he stepped into the water that felt like pellets of ice on his flushed skin and closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the wall as the past week's events unfolded in his head.

He was being followed.

 _It isn't that idiot Ogata though,_ Akihito thought to himself as he clenched and unclenched his fists, flexing his fingers, _He's not smart like these guys are. Their cars are unmarked and they stay fairly out of sight. They're like ghosts, invisible to the naked eye._

Akihito let out another groan as he tried to guess what sort of trouble he had gotten himself into. It wasn't supposed to be like this, it never was, but he had gotten carried away. Cocky. Now someone was watching him, someone who knew something, or at least thought they did, and he had to figure things out fast.

Realizing that standing in the shower until his body shriveled wouldn't make a difference, Akihito relinquished himself to the now freezing spray and quickly washed away the day's grime. Stepping out of the shower he wrapped a towel loosely around his hips as he padded across carpet to his small closet in the corner of his room. Digging around he managed to pull out a pair of boxer shorts and slipped them on, letting the towel fall before reaching back in to pull out a thin t-shirt and a pair of cotton pants.

Once he was comfortable and dry, Akihito headed back into the small living area, rubbing a towel against his damp hair as he stopped in front of his windows and looked into the street below and began scanning for the unmarked car.

Panic began to rise as he realized the car was nowhere to be seen and he wondered what that could mean. Did they decide to leave him alone? Determine he wasn't a threat? He had hardly slept all week, doing everything in his power to appear harmless to whoever it was that was watching him.

Akihito began to go over the list of people in his mind that he could have inadvertently made contact with and caused this sort of reaction but came up empty handed. No one he knew was this sophisticated or determined, most men would scoff and ignore the idea that Akihito could cause any issues, which suited him just fine and made his job much easier.

Letting his hands drop to his sides, Akihito tossed the towel into a corner of the room and flopped onto his couch, wincing slightly at the hard springs that dug into his ass and looked at the photographs spread across the table, trying to determine in them if he could see any point in which he had screwed up but once again came up empty.

Leaning back into the cushions Akihito stared out the window once more as he began to lose himself to his thoughts, questions reeling that kept him from dozing.

After all, who sent out a twenty-four seven stake out just to watch someone who took a few photographs?

What could these people want with him? He was just a photographer. Sure his photographs had put away a few low ranking thugs and gang members, but he had never baited the big fish. Even Ogata was an insect compared to whoever seemed to be after him. Akihito let out another groan of frustration as he realized how much trouble he could truly be in, and he had no idea why.

* * *

Asami rolled over as his alarm began beeping, signaling the start of the day and causing him to furrow his brows in frustration. Reaching across the bed he slammed one large hand over the top of it, instantly shutting it up and most likely doing severe damage to the button.

It had been a late night filled with interrogations, meetings and more paperwork than Asami ever cared to see again in his life, and he knew today would not be much better.

Rolling to his back, Asami rested his arm on his forehead as he stared at the ceiling, thinking ahead to the day's itinerary. He had several business meetings this morning to discuss this quarter's profits as well as discuss some recent unacceptable slip-ups at the hands of his employees. Asami was ruthless in all aspects of his business, legal or otherwise, and would not tolerate such simple mistakes. Later in the day he had an appointment set up with Ogata and Asami began smirking to himself as he thought of the ways in which he would make the man suffer for wasting his time over the past week. Of course, he would drain the man of every yen he owned before he did anything, being sure to collect his payment in full before ending the pathetic man's life.

Asami swung his legs over the side of his bed as his thoughts wandered to the blonde Ogata had targeted. He hadn't been able to shake the boy's image from his mind and it frustrated him immensely. He was just some nobody kid, probably caught Ogata's eye walking down the street minding his own business, but it infuriated Asami to no end that he was the one who had been targeted. _Takaba Akihito_ , Asami thought the name to himself as he stepped into his large shower and turned the hot water on full blast, bracing his hands on the intricate tiled wall as he continued to let his thoughts wander over the boy.

He wanted to know more about him, was desperate to see those crystalline blue eyes for himself, hear what his voice sounded like when he talked, when he laughed, when he-

Something in Asami tightened as he felt his skin warm from something more than the hot water and he let out a low laugh. He must be getting soft to let that pretty little thing affect him. But that wasn't quite it, the boy was alluring there were no doubts, however it was something in his eyes that Asami was drawn to. A quiet fire that seemed as if it could light a whole forest ablaze if it so desired.

Asami wanted to ignite that fire and watch the flames burn the whole world.

Pyromania aside, Asami knew he needed to deal with Ogata before he even considered approaching the blonde. Running shampoo slicked hands through his hair, Asami smirked to himself as he thought of the immense amounts of men and women that flocked to him, desperate just to spend one night with the renowned Asami Ryuichi. He had of course indulged in these easy pickings on occasion, a quick tumble in the sheets and he was sure to have them removed from his bed before he awoke. Yet he wasn't sure if a quick fuck would satisfy what exactly he wanted from the blonde.

Turning off the shower and wrapping a towel around his waist, Asami moved back into his bedroom as he began to pick through his closet, thoughts once more wandering to the blonde.

He supposed he could have him picked up, delivered to him like a beautiful present to indulge in all his desires until he finally satisfied what exactly it was he wanted. However Asami wanted those beautiful eyes to be filled with laughter and that ever present spark that threatened to burn him alive just at the thought of it, and realized that taking Takaba with eyes full of fear wouldn't satisfy this strange feeling that he felt might just strangle him.

Grooming his hair into place, Asami looked into the lavish vanity mirror and smirked slightly, it wouldn't be hard to charm the boy. He just had to find a way to make contact. Perhaps he could use Kirishima's meeting with him later in the day to his advantage.

Walking into the living room, Asami greeted Kirishima who presented him with his coat and briefcase before walking out of his apartment, the light smirk gracing his features instantly turning into passive stoicism once more.

* * *

Today was Akihito's day off and he decided to take full advantage of it.

He had received his paycheck that morning and treated himself to a delicious lunch of sushi in Shinjuku before heading to the park with his most prized camera. His Nikon D5100 DSLR felt light in his hands as he began snapping shots of a small roundabout with a large fountain in its center. The sky was clear and the lighting perfect and Akihito smiled as he heard each 'click' of his camera.

Standing up straight, Akihito moved to a nearby empty bench in order to go through the photos he had just taken, grinning like an idiot at the beautiful quality of the images and making a mental note of his favorites to be printed later. He was feeling much more relaxed as the day progressed and he realized that he was in fact no longer being tailed, and that it seemed no action was going to be taken against him.

Whoever he piqued the interest of seemed to have lost it and he felt immense relief.

Too busy thumbing through the photos, Akihito hardly noticed the bespectacled man who entered the small secluded area of the park. It wasn't until the man was much nearer to him did Akihito realize he was heading in his direction.

Akihito felt his pulse pick up but did his best to remain impassive, he instantly felt his gut twist as he started to worry that this man may be associated with whoever had been watching him. He seemed perfectly normal, harmless even to the average person, but Akihito knew it was easy to put on face.

However when he approached Akihito, the man had a small smile plastered on his face and radiated nothing but friendliness as he stopped just a foot away from the bench. Reaching his hand out, the man spoke in a clear voice, "I couldn't help but notice you taking pictures here in the park." At Akihito's deadpan stare at the statement, the man continued, "My apologies, my name is Kirishima Kei and I was wondering if you happened to do freelance work? My boss is in need of a photographer for a few events and I just happened to notice you as I passed by."

Akihito stared dumbfounded at the man before him, feeling like a paranoid idiot for assuming this man would try to attack him in broad daylight, he shook his head and smiled before accepting the offered hand, "Ah, a bit. Mostly birthday parties, special events for people who know me or know of me through others. I do most of my work for a local agency."

Kirishima smiled warmly again and Akihito felt a bit guilty for making the assumption he did about this man, his thoughts were interrupted by Kirishima speaking once more, "Would you happen to have a business card? A way we would be able to contact you if interested in your services?"

Akihito turned and began digging in his camera bag, mumbling slightly as he did so, "Ah, shoot. I know I have a few somewhere in here." He began pulling out and arranging lenses and flashes as Kirishima patiently waited before letting out a triumphant, "Aha!" as he produced a small rectangular card, passing it into Kirishima's hand. "It has my contact information on their as well as a link to my digital portfolio if your boss is interested in seeing my past work. What kind of event would this be?"

Kirishima pocketed the card after briefly looking over it before speaking once more, "A grand opening of sorts. At this time I'm unable to disclose much more information than that, however more will be given once we decide if we would like to hire your services. Thank you for your time, ah,"

"Takaba Akihito." Akihito smiled warmly, before shaking the man's hand once more. He watched as Kirishima walked away, back the way he had come and looked back down at the camera in his hands, blissfully unaware to the now passive man lifting his phone to his ear as he exited the park.

It rang once, twice before a curt greeting met his ears, "Asami-sama, I was able to secure his contact information. It has been sent to your personal phone." Kirishima hung up after receiving a small praise from Asami for his work. He looked back once more at the blonde haired boy in the park, who was once again smiling as he lost himself in his camera, before sliding into the sleek black car and pulling away as if he had never been there.

* * *

Asami smirked as he hung up and set his phone down on his desk.

In front of him, Ogata's cries were muffled by the cloth tied tightly around his head, gagging him. His wrists and ankles were bound and his eyes darted around the room fearfully as Asami tended to several reports lying across his desk. Behind the bound man stood Suoh, hands clasped behind his back awaiting further orders.

He had captured Ogata that morning, hiding out in some rodent infested apartment, piled high with trash and coated in filth, matching Ogata perfectly. Instantly his remaining men had been executed on the spot and Ogata himself was bound and brought before Asami, who was immensely pleased with the work of his subordinates that day.

After ten more minutes Asami finally put the pen he had been holding onto his desk and leaned back in his chair, staring Ogata in the eyes and smirking, relishing in the fear present before speaking, "Suoh, have him transported to warehouse nine. Gather some men, I trust your decision on who you bring, and have them there as well. I will be there in three hours. Have everything prepped for my arrival."

Asami then waved his hand, indicating for Suoh to leave, who obliged while dragging the now frantic Ogata with him. Asami smirked as he watched the man struggle against Suoh who hardly even acknowledged his attempts.

Organizing the papers on his desk, Asami reached over and pressed an intercom button on his phone, knowing Kirishima would be in his office, "Kirishima, reschedule my appointments for this afternoon. I will be heading to warehouse nine. Inform my driver and have any reports that need immediate attention brought to my office so that they can be dealt with."

Asami leaned back into his chair once more as he awaited Kirishima to carry out his orders. Turning to the windows behind him he stared into the afternoon sky for a few moments before standing up and walking to the windows. Resting his fist against one of the large panes, his other hand in his pocket, Asami smirked as he stared at bustling Tokyo streets below him.


	3. Chapter 3

Hello! I'm finally back with a nice long update. I'm really glad everyone seems to be enjoying this story so much and I'm having a lot of fun writing it. It's just going kind of slowly is all. I hope you enjoy this next installment though at almost 5k words and that it's enough to satisfy you until I can upload the next chapter. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 3

It was dark.

The air was stale and there was a distinct odor that permeated throughout the enclosed space.

Ogata nodded in and out of consciousness as he tried to get a grip of his surroundings. Unaware of how long he had been there, he had been tied to a metal chair and promptly left to rot. He remembered being in that large office now, Asami's office, with the large expanse of windows and he had said he would be coming. Three hours. That's what he said.

Ogata looked much more alert as he finally realized he did not have any indication of time passed. Looking around frantically, his dark eyes were wide with terror and his heart threatened to beat out of his chest. He began tugging at his restraints as he desperately tried to free himself. Any fate would be favorable in comparison to what Asami would do to him.

Then man was as ruthless as he was charming, it made Ogata's blood freeze as he imagined the terrible things that were planned for him. Letting out a low moan of anguish as he realized he wouldn't be coming loose, Ogata squeezed his eyes shut and began wishing for an out, hoping that by some miracle he would get out before Asami arrived.

It was only a moment later when he heard it. The sound was loud, slow, the distinct shrill of metal scraping, scraping on what?

Slowly peeling his eyes open, Ogata peered into the darkness, trying to locate the source of the sound before realizing it was getting louder. It wasn't long before a figure appeared, who exactly he was unable to determine as they were partially hidden in the shadows.

Ogata gulped as he realized the source of the sound was a long blade being dragged across the concrete floor and he tried to keep himself from whimpering, understanding it was too late for miracles. Too late for second chances.

As the figure drew nearer Ogata began shaking his head from side to side as tears started to cascade down his cheeks of their own free will, he began a quiet mantra of, "No, no, no" getting louder as the figure drew closer. Before he knew it they were standing before him and Ogata looked up one final time into the face of his executioner, a mixture of fear, regret and desperation present in his eyes as he strained to see who it was.

It was over in a flash, a glimpse of a face, distorted by shadows and covered in grime, the last thing that he saw was the crystal blue orb staring hatefully into his own.

A final gasp of shock came from his lips, his life ended instantly as the blade sticking from the back of his head began to create small pools of red in the folds of his neck, his parted lips twisted into one final grin as he died, his psyche having been shattered once and for all.

The blade slowly retracted from him, pulling small chunks of flesh, muscle and even chips of bone with it as the figure stepped back with a small, satisfied smirk before turning on their heel, leaving no evidence of their presence other than the dead man sitting in the middle of the room.

* * *

Pissed.

That wasn't good enough a word to describe the turbulent feeling in Asami as he stared coldly at Ogata's dead body, now getting cold as blood dried around the gaping wound in the middle of his head. He flexed his fingers once, twice, and curled them into a hard fist as his eyes became murderous.

Someone was going to die that night, no matter what. If it wasn't going to be Ogata, it would be the man who stole his kill from him.

Asami turned to his ever-loyal secretary who was busily typing away on a small tablet as he talked quietly into his phone. Making brief eye contact, Kirishima quickly ended the call before presenting Asami with the tablet, his face grim.

"It seems whoever it was left virtually no evidence. The surveillance feed from surrounding areas was cut and no weapons or indications of his presence was found. Asami-sama, if I may," Kirishima cleared his throat before he continued, "This kill was very similar to those Ogata reported when he first came to you. While Takaba Akihito has been cleared, it is entirely possible that Ogata was indeed being stalked and that the true culprit came to finish the deed when Ogata was alone and most vulnerable. Which would mean we are being monitored as well. The location of the warehouse was top secret and no one would have known other than myself and Suoh, aside from you of course."

Kirishima pushed his glasses up with his index finger as Asami's face grew colder with each word that passed his lips. The news wasn't just bad, it was potentially detrimental as a new threat appeared on the horizon. Asami was not the type to take these lightly and Kirishima knew that there would not be much rest or peace for any of the men until this mystery assassin was caught and delivered to Asami giftwrapped with a bow.

Hoping to appease the seething man, Kirishima cleared his throat once more before reaching into his pocket, "Asami-sama, I was unable to deliver this to you earlier. Here." He pushed the small rectangular card into the large palm, "It's the contact information for Takaba-sama. I also did what you requested and monitored the boy's actions, he seemed completely normal and I could not detect any nervousness or indication that he was lying or hiding something. When I spoke with him I informed him you were looking to hire a photographer for an event which I did not specify. With your permission I would like to arrange a suitable event in which to bring him in under."

Asami reached into his pocket and packed the box of Dunhills against his palm as he shook one out, placing it between his lips where Kirishima quickly lit it for him. Taking in a long drag Asami flicked his ash before gesturing his hand at Kirishima, prompting him to continue.

"The construction for the new lounge in Sion has almost reached completion. Takaba-sama could photograph the grand opening which will then open him to the opportunity to photograph other properties and future events. It secures the excuse to create a long term business relationship with Takaba-sama as well as covers the issue of publicity regarding the opening."

Asami let out a soft "Hnn" around his cigarette as he looked back towards the corpse before him. Kirishima followed his gaze and swallowed back bile at the brutal scene before him. Asami took a final drag of his cigarette as the cherry stared to fade and dropped it to the floor, quickly stubbing it with his expensive loafer before sliding his hands into his pockets and turning towards Kirishima, "I will contact Takaba personally. See to it that the arrangements are made for the rest of the event. And see to it that this mess is taken care of," Asami looked towards to body once more out of the corner of his eye before snapping his hard gaze back on Kirishima, "Keep looking for who did this. Whoever it was had to leave something behind and it will be found. As soon as you have something inform me."

Asami began walking away, leaving Kirishima to do what he does best as frustration pounded through his veins. No one attempted to defraud Asami Ryuichi and those that did were crushed in an instant, so how did this one, seemingly insignificant person manage to deceive him with so little effort? Clenching his hand, Asami's golden eyes were practically ablaze as he exited the warehouse and swiftly entered the waiting limo, pulling out another cigarette in an attempt to occupy himself from the urge of violence.

As he reached into his pocket to retrieve his lighter his hand brushed something else and he pulled out the small grey business card and instantly his entire demeanor changed. His threatening aura was gone and Asami smirked as he looked over the card, thinking of the striking blonde to whom it belonged.

Without a second thought Asami pulled his phone from his pocket and began dialing the number indicated on the card.

As his thumb hovered over the call button Asami was jolted from his task as a rapid knocking on the window the limousine caught his attention. Lowering it slowly, Asami's eyes met Kirishima's who's seemed to be glowing with excitement.

"Sir, we found something."

* * *

Akihito woke in a cold sweat, a pulsing sensation throughout his whole body as his eyes darted frantically around the dim room. It was dark outside, he could see the night sky peeking from behind his curtains, but what time was it? How did he get here?

Rolling onto his back and spread fully across his small bed, Akihito tried to form some sense of time as his memories came back to him fuzzily, one after the other.

There was the park, that's right. He had been taking pictures, there was a family playing with their dog and…oh yeah, that man with the glasses.

Licking his dry lips, Akihito tried to form his thoughts through the fog as he vaguely recalled returning home and starting to cook dinner. He'd been halfway done and was peeling potatoes while humming along to the theme of some TV show he had on in the background when he had heard yelling.

It had been his neighbors again, the couple was young but the husband was an absolute drunk. He had seen the wife on several occasions in the building, passing by with an awkward smile as he tried to ignore the bruise on her face and her eyes desperately pleaded he didn't point it out. Akihito had spent many nights trying to drown out the noise of his abuse with television and music but tonight had been louder than usual.

Shaking his head slowly as he tried once more to clear the thick fog diluting his senses, Akihito sat up slowly and looked down at himself tangled up in his sheets. Awkwardly struggling to free himself, Akihito instead rolled to the side and promptly fell on his ass on the floor, the sheet coming with him instead of remaining on the bed. Rolling his eyes he finally freed himself before shuffling into the bathroom and flipping the light switch as he entered.

Akihito stared at himself in the mirror and had to grab the sides of the sink to steady himself as a wave of nausea hit, a fun side effect along with pounding headaches and the occasional minor injury.

He looked like shit.

There were dark circles under his normally shining eyes which now look flat and dull. He must have blacked out, it happened on occasion and he would normally wake up in bed, covered in dirt and sweat and looking thoroughly exhausted as he was now.

Peeling his clothing off his still damp skin, Akihito shuddered at the sudden rush of cool air and turned to his shower hoping the hot water would be working tonight.

As if luck was on his side, Akihito stepped in to the steaming box and practically moaned in pleasure as the warm water began beating on his back. Enjoying the spray, Akihito closed his eyes and tried once more to gather his thoughts as his mind finally began to truly clear up.

After he heard the fighting he had finished cooking his dinner and sat on his couch to watch a movie while he ate. He was crouching on the floor browsing his large collection of horror and…that was it. That must have been the moment he blacked out.

As if on cue Akihito's stomach rumbled in an attempt to remind him that he in fact must not have eaten his dinner.

Rolling his eyes Akihito quickly bathed himself, relishing in the warm spray and the scent of his shampoo before turning the water off and stepping out into the unforgiving cold air once more. With a soft sigh Akihito bundled himself in a robe and began towel drying his hair as he realized he must have a left a window open in his apartment and the biting fall air was creating the chilly atmosphere. Stepping out into the living room Akihito looked around, quickly locating the window and shutting it with a resounding thud.

Looking around himself Akihito made a face at the sad state of his plate of untouched food on the small coffee table in front of his couch, but noted nothing else was out of the ordinary. Grateful he didn't wreak any havoc, he remembered once when he was younger having stayed the night at Kou's house. The other boy was unaware of Akihito's tendencies to roam after he blacked out and had been woken up by him straddling his hips and attempting to choke him.

They had laughed it off after the initial shock wore off, and after Akihito had been snapped out of it, and quickly blamed the event on the multiple brutal and violent movies they had watched earlier that evening. Since then Akihito had been careful about watching for signs of an oncoming attack, however sometimes they came without warning, as the case must have been earlier that evening.

Picking up the now cold plate Akihito disposed of the now cold food and looked at the small clock on his kitchen wall, realizing it was only 10 p.m. he excitedly rushed to his room and quickly dressed with the knowledge that he could make it to his favorite local sushi carry out before they closed.

As he slipped on his coat and gloves Akihito dug into his pocket to retrieve his keys, stepping outside of his apartment and turned to lock the door when he stopped, staring at the door knob.

"What the?" Akihito mumbled and he looked the small red smear standing out brightly from the silver door knob. Shaking his head, Akihito wondered if the drunk next door had hurt himself and tried to open the door to Akihito's place, thinking it was his own.

It wouldn't have been the first time and most likely wouldn't be the last, and Akihito was thankful that he always locked the apartment door now, even when he was home, and had installed a new shiny deadbolt a few months prior.

Quickly jamming the key into the lock and twisting it, Akihito smiled and began humming as he practically skipped down the stairs and out on to the sidewalk as he blended into the crowded walkway, all his worries forgotten.

* * *

It was two hours later when Akihito fell backwards onto his couch, thoroughly exhausted as he finished the last of his sushi and watched the end of the movie he had put on. However he was hardly watching it as he was too preoccupied glancing out the window every few moments.

The night had been going much better for him, he was almost home carrying more sushi than he could ever dream of and he salivated at the thought of stuffing his face while watching a good movie. It was when he was walking up to his apartment building that Akihito finally realized that he was being followed again.

Except it wasn't the same person this time. The car was black and unmarked, same as before, but they weren't as stealthy and hadn't done a very good job at attempting to blend in. In fact they practically drove alongside him his entire walk home. Shaking his head Akihito wondered what he had done to bring this on himself.

Deciding that there was nothing that could be done tonight he stood up and shut the curtains, effectively blocking them out of his view, and his mind, and carried his dishes into the kitchen before wandering to the front door and ensuring it was locked.

Humming nonsense to himself Akihito turned off the lights as he headed into his bedroom and fell facefirst on to his bed, enjoying the comforting feel of his pillows and blankets as he suddenly became much more tired than he thought he was.

Eyelids fluttering, Akihito slowly drifted into a peaceful sleep, blissfully unaware of the second vehicle slowly pulling up outside of his apartment.

* * *

Asami smirked down at the small trinket in his hands, it was silver and circular with a small symbol in the middle. Attached to a small chain, Asami dangled it from lean fingers as he studied the strange symbol, unsure of what it meant. However excitement coursed through his veins at the thought that the small trinket belonged to this unknown assassin, which meant Asami was one step closer to determining who he was and killing him himself.

Smirking at the thought, Asami gently pocketed the small item and looked out the window to his left, letting his thoughts wander as he the shops and people whizzed by him. There was more work to do than focus on this man, and he realized that he was going to have to prioritize. He refused to let his legitimate business suffer at the fault of this man.

As the limo slowed to a stop at an intersection, Asami's eyes caught a blonde head of hair weaving in and out of the crowd, arms full of what appeared to be take-out, and smirked as he thought of the blonde in the photo sitting on his desk, his blonde, whether Takaba realized that or not, Asami had come to accept he was infatuated with him and would be _very_ persistent in his endeavor.

Thoughts wandering to not so polite fantasies, Asami continued to focus on the blonde hurrying through the streets and narrowed his eyes as he began noticing similarities to this blonde and Takaba.

Too many similarities. It was practically a smack in the face when it finally hit Asami that it was Takaba walking down the street, carrying what seemed to be more than his own weight in take-out sushi.

Laughing softly to himself, Asami made a mental note regarding the boy's tastes and enjoyed the show as he watched him struggle through the crowd, clinging to his food as if it were his most prized possession and trying desperately not to trip over the throng of bodies.

Asami's eyes wandered downwards and began lingering on the plump ass that filled out his jeans rather nicely, smirking as his mind once more began to wander.

It was Kirishima in the passenger's seat who broke Asami out of his thoughts when the partition slowly rolled down and he began speaking, "Asami-sama, the warehouse has been cleaned and Ogata's body disposed of. Then men report nothing else found and that there were no disturbances either."

Nodding in acknowledgement, Asami began to let his thoughts wander once more before being interrupted once more as he noticed an unmarked black car slowly creeping up alongside the limo.

Ignoring it at first, Asami shook a cigarette from his box of Dunhills and began to light up when he watched the car beginning to move once more and followed it with his gaze, his eyes becoming murderous as he saw who exactly the car was following.

The blonde head looked over his shoulder a few times and Asami could see the discomfort and nervousness marring those bright blue eyes.

A sudden rush of anger welled up in him at the thought of someone attempting to hurt the boy. Putting the pieces together rather quickly, Asami realized it must have been Ogata's men, or at least what was left of them, out for revenge at the news of their boss' capture and subsequent death assumed at the hands of Asami.

However they were smart enough to know they would never be able to touch him, even if he had killed Ogata their attempts would have been in vain.

Takaba though, he was easy enough to blame and an even easier target, a self-aware one at that. Something Ogata and his men typically relished in when working.

"That car, it seems to be following an interest of mine." Asami's deep voice broke the silence in the limo and Suoh, tucked away in the driver's seat, quickly understood his boss' implications and began tailing the car.

The thought of satisfying his bloodlust made Asami's palms itch and he smirked as he thought of how exactly he was going to torture and kill the men they were now following.

It wasn't Ogata, but it would have to do for now.

As they pulled up across the street from a sketchy building in which Takaba quickly hurried into, Asami watched as the unmarked car pulled into the parking lot and parked right in front of what he presumed to be Takaba's apartment.

Shaking his head, Asami watched as the lights came on a few floors up and he saw the blonde boy once more as he looked out his window before moving away once more. The limousine was parked just far enough away for Asami to get a good view of the living room of Takaba's apartment and he watched as Takaba put in a movie and began scarfing down sushi as if he didn't even chew it.

Asami wouldn't have known Takaba was aware of the car watching him from the parking lot if it wasn't for the blonde head turning every so often and peeking out the window. It was also what kept him from moving in, knowing full well the boy was watching.

As he crossed his legs and watched the boy with fascination, Asami began to wonder why he didn't seem more worried that he was being followed. However the more he thought he considered that Takaba's profession had secured him several enemies and that stalking as a warning to back off was most likely a common occurrence. Something Takaba lived with every day, along with the myriad of threats he most likely received, idle or real.

Anger once more began pooling in Asami's stomach, much to his confusion. He was attracted to the boy, there was no doubt, and he was already determined that he would own him in some form. However this urge to protect him from these dangers was a feeling Asami was not used to, and one that made him question how deep his obsession with someone he had never even spoken to was exactly running.

As he mulled over his feelings, Asami assured himself that tomorrow he would make contact with the blonde. As if on cue, said blonde appeared once more at the window, standing there for a few moments before shutting the curtains with finality.

Smirking, Asami signaled to Suoh who quickly spoke into his phone in a low voice.

Asami reached into his pocket and pulled out the small business card once more, as he stared at the name in elegant black cursive, _Takaba Akihito_ , and began letting his thoughts wander once more to the boy.

Within moments another black car pulled up and two of Asami's men quickly stepped out and went over to the parked vehicle containing Ogata's remaining men. Wrenching them free, Asami's men made quick work of knocking them unconscious and tossing the bodies into the trunk before pulling away as if they had never been there.

Asami ran his fingertips over the card once more, tracing one long elegant finger over the text as he spoke, "Suoh, have the men take them to warehouse nine. I'll deal with them at once."

With finality Asami pocketed the card once more as Suoh changed direction to the port district.

* * *

It was nearing eight in the morning when Asami finally stepped back, his sleeves rolled to his elbows and his jacket, vest and tie long gone. A few buttons at the top of his shirt were undone and his normally pristine hair began to fall loose as he reached up to run his large hand through it, small spatters of blood marred his otherwise perfect face and Asami looked every inch the ruthless crime lord he was described. The two men in front of him hardly recognizable due to the amount of punishment they had been through and blood pooled the floor surrounding their bodies. They each had one bullet to the forehead, a final shot of mercy Asami had finally given them after hours of brutal torture.

Kirishima stood on the sidelines and attempted to look anywhere but the bloody mess in front of him, pity instantly going out to the poor soul who would have to clean this mess.

Asami didn't usually get so violent when executing men. A single bullet to the head was the usual route, and on occasion Asami would use more convincing methods when extracting information, but Asami hardly ever used this extreme of methods. He was extremely pissed, and Kirishima began to wonder if it was due to his frustration at the assassin or if it was something else.

Shaking his head, Kirishima stepped forwards and offered Asami a small cloth which he gratefully took, wiping the smears of blood from his face as he turned on his heel and picked up his discarded clothing.

"Kirishima, see to it that this is cleaned up. I will be working from home today. Inform my driver that he will have the rest of the day off. Suoh and yourself as well once this is taken care of. Report to the penthouse tomorrow as per usual." Asami walked out of the warehouse and relished the feeling of the sun on his skin, watching is slowly ascend over the horizon before sliding into the backseat of the limousine, looking forward to a nice shower once he returned home.

* * *

Akihito woke the next morning and began his routine as normal.

He had work that day and began to get ready, brushing his teeth and dressing in a comfortable pair of jeans and one of his favorite t-shirts before heading into his darkened living space. Remembering his reason for closing the curtains the previous night, Akihito grabbed the edge and peeked hesitantly around it, relief instantly washing over him as he realized the car was now gone.

Shaking his head as he wandered into the kitchen and poured himself a bowl of cereal, Akihito wondered if he was starting to become paranoid and that he possible had made up the car last night,

Halfway through his bowl, Akihito was in the middle of a large bite filled with sugary goodness when he glanced at the clock and dropped his spoon.

"Shit! I'm gonna be late!" Standing up and grabbing his camera bag, Akihito slipped on his shoes and picked up his keys which he realized felt lighter than normal.

Looking down at them small bundle in his hands, Akihito began accounting for all his keys before realizing his favored keychain was missing. Did he lose it last night when he went to get sushi? He couldn't remember but anguish began to pool in Akihito's stomach.

The keychain had been a gift from his mother when he turned ten. He was finally old enough to walk to and from school on his own and she had gotten him his own house key with the small keychain attached so that he didn't lose it.

It was one of the few things he had left and regret washed over him as he realized he didn't have time to go searching for it as he couldn't risk being late to work. Shaking his head Akihito convinced himself it wasn't a big deal, it was just a stupid keychain after all.

Blocking out the rising sadness in his chest, Akihito closed his door and locked it before heading downstairs to his Vespa and straddling it quickly as he began to instead focus on the tasks for the day ahead.

He was so enamored in his thoughts as he pulled out into traffic, Akihito completely forgot his bag which was left lying on the ground where he was once parked.

A.N. Okay okay I know they still haven't met but I PROMISE it's coming in the next chapter. I was going to include it in this chapter but it just felt awkward and forced and I don't want to rush their relationship or meeting, although I guess Asami is kind of already doing that for me. The next chapter however WILL be devoted to their meeting and the beginnings of their relationship building. I promise!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4! I honestly never thought I'd make it this far and I'm really happy so many of you seem to be enjoying and sticking with the story. I hope the longish chapter makes up for the slow update and that you all enjoy it! Thank you for reading!

Chapter 4

The camera shuddered before Akihito stood at his full height, a dull ache present in his lower back from bending and twisting as he tried to keep up with the girl whose photos he was taking today.

She was young, pretty, and desperate to get into the modeling business. Her mother had babysat Akihito when he was little and he had agreed quickly to help out, enjoying the opportunity to photograph someone who was so excited to be in front of the camera.

Now if he could just get her to slow down a little.

Sensing Akihito's weariness, the aspiring model's mother stepped in, "Nozomi, why don't we take a short break. Akihito could probably use a few moments to look at his film and it wouldn't hurt for you to stop and get a drink of water."

Nozomi's dyed blonde hair snapped in her mother's direction and nodded, trying her hardest to contain her overflowing energy and abundance of excitement.

Akihito let out a sigh of relief and leaned against a wall as he took a few moments to catch his breath and indeed go through the film. The pictures were nice, nothing impressive, although Akihito was not used to photographing posed persons, however the girl's potential was evident and Akihito was sure she would be pleased with the proofs he'd be sending her.

It had only been a few minutes and Nozomi's mother stepped out of the room to take a call, prompting Nozomi to make her way over to Akihito, exaggeratedly swaying her hips as she did and batting her lashes as she approached him, stopping only inches away and peeking up at him through them, "Hey Takaba-kun, thank you again for photographing me today. I promise when I'm famous and walking runways all over the world to invite you to my shows."

Akihito smiled, oblivious to her flirting and shook his head a bit, "Ah, I'm not sure how much my boss would appreciate that, or my wallet for the matter. I'll definitely be cheering you on in spirit though." Akihito went back to his camera almost instantly, blind to the now pouting girl who was inching even closer to him.

"Well, you could always become my _personal_ photographer. Everyone will be jealous that I have the best one out there." Nozomi tried once more, ending her sentence with a wink, to which Akihito awkwardly laughed a bit but did not look up, "I really appreciate the offer Nozomi-san, but crime photography is such a huge passion of mine and I could never give it up to devote enough time to your career."

When Akihito felt heat searing on his forehead he looked up, confused by the scorching look the younger girl was now giving him before she turned on her heel, huffing back onto the makeshift set.

Shrugging in confusion, Akihito played with the setting on his camera for a few more moments before pushing off the wall and finishing the shoot.

* * *

The last half had been absolutely terrible. Nozomi was uncooperative and stiff, her face lost its softness and she was clearly perturbed but Akihito knew better than to inquire, knowing he was there just to complete his job and do his best to try and ensure she looked good, although at this rate he wasn't sure if he would be able to do much with the photos.

By the time he was finished Nozomi stormed out and Akihito was busy stuffing lenses into his worn camera bag, shaking his head in frustration. Nozomi's mother materialized by his side and patted his shoulder, thanking him for doing her this favor before slipping a small amount of yen into his bag when he wasn't looking as an extra thank you, knowing that he would not accept it if she attempted to hand it to him.

As he shouldered his bag, Akihito stepped out onto the street and in the direction of his Vespa when his phone began to buzz frantically in his back pocket. Reaching behind he slid the phone out and looked at the caller ID, squinting at the unknown number that displayed on his screen before answering, "Ah, hello?"

A smooth baritone answered Akihito, "Hello, I'm attempting to contact Takaba Akihito, this is Asami Ryuichi from Sion."

"Oh!" Akihito stopped in his tracks as he realized he was speaking to the CEO of one of, if not the, largest corporations in Japan, "Yes this is him. Ah, what can I do for you?" Akihito asked, slightly startled that such a powerful figure would be personally contacting him.

Asami held back a chuckle at the enthusiasm in the boy's voice before continuing, "I received your contact information from my secretary who found you in a local park. I would like to invite you to an interview and perhaps a test shoot, interested?"

Akihito had to grab the wall to steady himself from passing out, he had never expect to receive a callback from the company that the man in the park had worked for, let alone a personal one from the CEO of Sion of all companies, whose teasing voice sounded like heaven and- _snap out of it!_ Akihito chastised himself in his head as he realized the other man was waiting patiently for an answer.

Swallowing hard Akihito opened his mouth as he tried to sound as professional as possible, "O-of course I'd be extremely interested! I mean, um, I'll have to check my schedule but I'm sure I'd be able to fit you in." Akihito finished attempting to sound much more professional and level-headed.

This time Asami didn't hold back to small chuckle before speaking once more, "I'll arrange to have you picked up tomorrow morning. Nine a.m. sharp."

Akihito pulled the phone away as he was met with a dial tone and stared in disbelief, waiting to wake up from the dream he must be experiencing as he knew there was no way that truly had just occurred.

He had never seen the man but Akihito knew Asami Ryuichi was extremely powerful figure and people flocked to his side in desperate attempts to gain wealth and success, although not many succeeded from what Akihito had heard.

However Akihito knew also of the rumors that circulated of Asami's involvement in the crime underworld and he fought the nervousness that rose in his chest as he straddled his Vespa and instead covered it with his excitement at the potential job as well as the scoop he could perhaps stumble upon if he was granted the opportunity to work with him.

Grinning like an idiot, Akihito sent a quick text to his best friends Kou and Takato asking them to meet him before pulling into traffic and heading towards his favorite sushi place in Shinjuku.

* * *

Asami smirked as he sat the phone on his desk and stood up from his large leather chair, walking behind it with his hands in his pockets.

Takaba had been thrilled at the offer and his enthusiasm had been pleasing to Asami who, though he would never admit it out loud, had a slight worry in the back of his mind that the boy might reject his offer.

Moving back to the desk, Asami picked up his phone once more and quickly texted Kirishima instructions to have someone pick Akihito up the next morning, knowing it would take only a few minutes from his secretary's day off.

Sitting back down, Asami pulled a report open and began scanning the first page, a small smirk still gracing his lips as the blonde drifted in and out of his thoughts.

* * *

Akihito woke with a start, drifting his gaze to the clock next to his bed, he let out a groan as he realized it was time to get up for the day.

Rolling out of bed Akihito dragged his feet to the bathroom and began stripping off his cotton pajama pants before stepping into the shower, hoping the spray of the water would help to wake him up.

He had gotten home late the night before after a long evening of celebrating with Kou and Takato turned into a long night of drinking and eating more sushi than Akihito ever considered possible.

Akihito rested his forehead on the tiled wall of the shower, his eyes closed as he drifted in and out of consciousness under the hot spray as he relived the past twenty-four hours before his eyes shot wide open, suddenly remembering the previous afternoon's phone call as excitement flooded him once again.

Finishing his shower with much more vigor than he started with, Akihito stepped out and into his room with a towel tied loosely around his hips as he headed to his closet to try and find a decent outfit.

Groaning in frustration, Akihito realized he would have to put on his nicest pair of hole-less jeans and hope he wasn't judged to harshly for his attire.

After tugging on a pair of snug boxer briefs, Akihito pulled the jeans over his hips and fastened his belt before pulling on a simple t-shirt and a light army green jacket over top, thankful for the rare spike in temperature even with winter looming on the horizon.

Heading into the kitchen he grabbed an apple from a bowl on his counter and bit into it, holding it in his mouth as he began to pack his camera bag, choosing his nicest cameras and lenses as well as tucking in his current portfolio of work he brought to client meetings.

Glancing up at the clock on his kitchen wall Akihito noticed that the ride Asami had arranged should be arriving any minute.

As if on cue there was a knock on the door and Akihito pulled the apple out of his mouth and took several quick strides to reach the front door before unlocking it and pulling it open.

Akihito stared dumbfounded as he realized he was staring directly at the chest of what must be an impossibly large man before he slowly craned his neck up to peer at the stone faced individual in front of him with bleach blonde hair and hands bigger than Akihito's own head.

The man spoke after meeting Akihito's gaze, his face never changing, "Takaba Akihito?"

Mouth full of half chewed apple Akihito could only nod in response when the man spoke before turning to grab his camera bag and double checking it to ensure he had everything he needed.

"My name is Suoh. Asami-sama has arranged for me to chauffer you today. Please, follow me." Suoh gestured for Akihito who stepped out of his apartment, stopping long enough to lock the door before following the hulking man down the stairs.

Akihito's jaw dropped as he stared at the gorgeous black limousine in front of him. It was sleek, obviously imported, with dark tinted windows. The inside was just as spectacular and Akihito settled back into the plush leather seat as Suoh closed the door behind him, shock still on his face as he eyed all of the luxury finishes on the interior as well.

After a few seconds Suoh was in the driver's seat and he turned on the ignition, "Your meeting with Asami-sama will be at ten a.m. in Sion." The blonde driver pulled onto the streets as he headed for the heart of Tokyo.

* * *

Forty-five minutes later Suoh stopped in front the large skyscraper in downtown Tokyo, stepping out and opening the door for Akihito who climbed out of the limousine, overwhelmed by the massive structure in front of him.

Akihito turned as he heard the limousine door slam and another man, dressed as impeccably as Suoh, climb into the driver's seat and pull away from the entrance.

Suoh came to Akihito's side before he spoke, "Please, follow me Takaba-sama. I will lead you to Kirishima who will take you to your meeting with Asami-sama."

Akihito nodded dumbly as he tried not to stare with his mouth open like an idiot.

As they crossed the threshold into the exquisite lobby Akihito suddenly felt very self-conscious as he looked at all the people around him who were dressed in high end suits and luxury clothing with expensive watches and jewelry, people who all looked at him in confusion as to why he was there with his plain clothes, clutching his camera bag to his side with one hand.

Standing near a large desk towards the back of the entrance Akihito recognized Kirishima who was on his phone. Glancing upwards he made a gesture implying he would be done in a moment and Akihito and Suoh stopped next to him as they waited.

Taking the quick opportunity to gawk, Akihito looked around in amazement at the beautifully polished marble floors and ornate chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. The marble tile crept up the wall behind the large reception area which had the name _Sion_ in large black cursive. The ceilings were tall and much of the décor seemed to have been custom built into the architecture of the building.

Akihito snapped out his wonder as he hard Kirishima clear his throat as he hung the phone up before smiling warmly at him, "Takaba-sama, it is nice to see you again. I'll escort you to Asami-sama's office."

Not waiting for an answer, Kirishima turned and Akihito followed him obediently, scared he would get lost in the large building if he lost sight of the man. Arriving before an ornate elevator, Kirishima took out a card and swiped it before punching a pin into a small number pad next to the doors, leading them to open.

Herding Akihito onto the elevator, Kirishima stepped in last before turning once more to swipe a card and punch in a pin. Akihito peeked over his shoulder, confused as he realized there was no panel to choose the desired floor.

Shaking his head, Akihito instead decided to look around the elevator curiously as it began to ascend, rather quickly he thought, and Akihito tried to swallow the rising bile in his throat.

As if sensing his nervousness, Kirishima offered Akihito another small smile but it did little to calm Akihito, who in turn began to wonder if he was insane for actually agreeing to come here today. He obviously stuck out like a sore thumb and he didn't think he would be able to fit in with these high-class people.

Stomach still churning, Akihito stepped out of the elevator as it came to a stop, followed by Kirishima who led him down a long hallway to a set of large double doors. Trying his hardest not to vomit, Akihito stood up straight and put on his most professional face despite the fact that his hand was clutching his camera bag so hard he was trembling as Kirishima knocked discreetly on one of the doors.

A confident "Enter." Came from the room and Akihito took a deep breath as Kirishima pulled the door open and he stepped inside.

* * *

Asami was sitting at his desk signing several reports when he heard the discreet knock on his office door.

Knowing it was Kirishima with his appointment, Asami smirked before stating, "Enter." While pushing the reports off to the side of his desk.

As the door opened Asami felt his breath catch in his throat as Takaba stepped into the room, trembling like a terrified deer ready to dart at any moment and more beautiful than Asami ever imagined. Despite being dressed in plain clothing the boy still shined and looked utterly delectable, his plump lips parted and his wild blonde hair sticking out in several directions and framing his porcelain face.

Sure, he had seen photos and watched the boy from afar on occasion, but never had he had the boy in front of him, bright blue eyes darting around the office nervously but with a sense of amazement and…was that skepticism in them?

Asami held back a chuckle as Kirishima led the boy to sit in one of the visitor chairs in front of his desk and then taking his leave from the room, Takaba's eyes finally resting on the man behind it.

Golden orbs locked on blue and the two stared at each other for a few moments, Asami radiating confidence and Akihito fear and nervousness. However Asami could still see that spark of fire behind the intense emotions reflecting the large blue eyes and he held back a small chuckle.

Oh yes, this boy was going to be an absolute delight.

Finally breaking the silence, Asami spoke, his eyes never leaving the boy's, "Takaba, it's nice to finally meet with you. I've been looking at your work and I'm very impressed with your portfolio."

The voice visibly snapped Akihito out of his stupor and he quickly recovered, "Ah, um, thank you so much for your time Asami-sama. I'm grateful for your inviting me to meet with you today. I brought a more recent portfolio with me if you'd like to take a look. Some of my more recent pieces are not online yet."

Akihito removed the book from his bag and placed it on the desk as he finished speaking, Asami grabbing it and flipping it open as he studied the images inside.

After a few moments with Akihito shifting in his seat nervously, Asami set the book down and gazed at him once more, "I'd like to offer you the opportunity to photograph for my events, the first being the grand opening of a new lounge in Club Sion." Asami leaned back in his chair as he studied the boy's face in front of him, watching his eyes change from nervous to confused and, annoyed?

Asami couldn't help but smirk as his interest continued to rise in the fascinating creature before him.

* * *

Akihito had been terrified when he first entered the office. The morning had been overwhelming so far but it was as if the entire world stopped when his eyes finally met the intense golden gaze that threatened to rip him open at any moment.

The man before him was gorgeous, there was no doubt about it, and his presence screamed of his confidence. When he began speaking, Akihito had been jolted from his thoughts, embarrassed as he realized he had, in fact, been staring at the impressive man behind the desk.

Despite his overwhelming attractiveness, and Akihito's body's response to it based upon the heat he felt pooling in his stomach the longer the man stared at him like he wanted to eat him, Akihito began to feel a hint of annoyance at the man's attempt to show off and impress him.

Akihito was impressed, but that wasn't the point. He wanted to enjoy what he photographed and the man's attempts at buying him with fancy limo rides and the implied promise of luxury from the five star treatment he had been receiving came off as arrogant and cocky, as if he expected Akihito would comply without question which royally pissed him off.

He couldn't quite understand why he was so angry though. It wasn't that big of a deal, and Akihito should have expected it knowing who he was meeting, but something about the way the man arrogantly stared him down made his blood boil.

Sitting up, Akihito matched the man's intense stare, who was now looking at him with…was that amusement? That was it.

"You know, I really don't care to work for arrogant bastards who attempt to impress me with lavish furnishings and a ride in a limo. I take my photography seriously and your expectation that I will say yes because you smile at me and give me a five star treatment won't cut it."

Crossing his arms as he leaned back, his face serious and his eyes ablaze, Akihito became even more furious as the man behind the desk began to laugh softly, shaking his head at the blonde.

Akihito dug his fingers into his arms as he watched the man in front of him, his anger rising as he realized the man was in fact laughing at him.

 _Forget who he is or what the opportunity offers, I don't need this shit._ Akihito thought to himself as he made a move to stand up and leave, grabbing his portfolio from the desk and shoving it clumsily into his bag.

"You're forthright, I'll give you that." The silky smooth voice spoke once more as Akihito turned to look at the man again. He was no longer laughing but that irritating smirk remained plastered to his perfect face. "My intention was not to show off to you today but rather be as accommodating as possible in order to persuade you to come and work for me. However, my offer still stands." Asami then stood up himself before coming around to the other side of the desk, stopping before Akihito and towering over him as he looked down at the boy, "I will pay you what you ask per event and will give you at least one week's notice before any event. I am extremely interested in your work, and I will take it very seriously."

Akihito took a step back, his hand reaching behind him and clutching the edge of the desk to support himself as Asami loomed over him, his own arms coming forward and trapping the boy between the desk and his large frame. Asami spoke once more as Akihito tried desperately to breathe normally as the larger man brought his face closer to his, whispering, "And I can be very persuasive, Takaba."

Akihito nearly fell on his ass as Asami stepped back, smirking at the boy in front of him before returning to the seat behind his desk.

Turning around quickly, Akihito's cheeks were bright pink as he stared in confusion at the man who was now lighting a cigarette as if nothing had happened. Dumbfounded, Akihito's anger had subsided for the most part due to the rising arousal in his gut but his embarrassment at being teased by the older man still had him feeling annoyed and he quickly pushed the feelings away and opted instead to glare at the man behind the desk, who once again met him with an infuriating smirk.

Wanting nothing more than to tell the man to fuck off, perhaps climb over the large desk and strangle the man, Akihito knew there was no way he could turn down the offer now without making a complete ass of himself while looking like a fool the entire time as well.

He had shown his hand too early and he had been backed into a corner, literally, and knew that he couldn't say no to the offer being presented.

Letting out an annoyed huff, Akihito met the gaze head on before muttering, "Fine. I'll accept your offer, on one condition."

If Asami was surprised that Akihito had accepted, he didn't show it, but nodded before saying, "Go on."

"I work alone. I don't do team photography and I do my own editing." Akihito crossed his arms with finality as if his demand wad brash and unreasonable. Asami wanted to laugh at the obstinate look on the boy's face as he tried to reclaim some of his lost dignity from a few moments ago, but instead held it in and attempted to soothe the boy's obviously ruffled pride.

"Of course. The opening of the new lounge is a week from tomorrow night, I hope you will not mind my request that you be driven to and from the events as well as that you attend in formal wear in order to blend in with the crowd more. This is to prevent those seeking some camera time to harass you all night looking to have their photo taken. I want you to focus on the lounge itself and the atmosphere and less on specific people as they do not hold well as promotional material. If you do not have a suit I will arrange to have my tailor sent to your apartment and have you fitted."

Mulling over the conditions, Akihito finally agreed to them with some slight grumblings which only further amused Asami.

After ironing out the final details Kirishima knocked on the door discreetly once more and informed Asami it was time for another meeting.

Standing up, Asami escorted Akihito to the door of his office and smirked at him, earning a glare in return, "I'll see you a week from tomorrow then, Takaba."

Akihito hurried down the hall after Kirishima, embarrassment radiating off him in waves at the way Asami stared at him as he walked away, glaring over his shoulder one final time before stepping into the elevator and out of Asami's sight.

* * *

When he finally arrived home, Akihito let out a long sigh as he toed off his shoes and fell face first on to his couch, annoyance pulsing through him and contributing to the growing headache at the base of his skull.

That had not gone as he had hoped, at all, and he felt like a complete fool played right into the hand of Asami.

Blush spread across his face as he remembered the man's face hovering inches from his own, the intensity in his gaze as he trapped Akihito and for a brief moment, he remembered his strong urge to kiss older man, or maybe punch him in the face, he wasn't sure which would have won out if Asami had not moved when he did.

Burying his face in the cushion, Akihito wanted to smack himself for acting like he did and instead rolled to his back and accepted that the damage was done.

Hopefully his job would not require much interaction with Asami and he would be able to work a few events, get a paycheck or two and get out. He wasn't even interested in trying to get a scoop on the man anymore, even though he was convinced now that the rumors were true about the supposed crime lord.

Just from meeting him Akihito could feel the deadly aura that vibrated off the man like a constant steady pulse. It wasn't prominent but it was still there and it made Akihito uncomfortable to think about.

He had been stupid to provoke him and was lucky he didn't end up with a bullet in his head.

Getting up slowly, Akihito decided he was too exhausted to eat or even shower before bed, let alone change his clothes. Instead he didn't bother to flip the light switch off in the living before moving into his bedroom, collapsing on top of his covers, clutching his pillow as his eyelids drooped.

As consciousness began to fade, Akihito cursed Asami's stupid face once more, the image of it taunting his drifting mind as he fell asleep.

For the first time in weeks, Akihito slept peacefully, even his sub conscious was kept at bay by the dreams of a tall, handsome man with piercing golden eyes and an infuriating smirk.

A.N.: Finally they meet! And Akihito finally goes to sleep and actually stays asleep! It took a lot of rewriting to create their first interaction and I tried very hard to keep them both in character so I hope they're not too OOC. Thank you again for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry it took so long to update, with the end of the semester looming near it's hard to find time to sleep let alone write. I hope all the drama and fluff makes up for it. Thank you for your support!

Chapter 5

Akihito rolled to his side and groaned as he pulled the covers to his chin in a desperate attempt to retain the warmth radiating from his bed.

It had been four days since his interview with Asami and his mind was still reeling over the powerful man. He was terrified, and honestly a bit embarrassed, after the meeting and he was beginning to question if he had made the right decision in showing up at all.

Rolling once more back to his stomach, Akihito buried his face in his pillow and let out a sigh of frustration. Wallowing in bed all morning wasn't going to make a difference. His fate was sealed and he was going to photograph for that event whether he liked it or not, his pride wouldn't let him back down from the challenge the older man had obviously set.

 _I can always back out afterwards_ he thought to himself as he bit his lower lip nervously. He could say that he didn't think it was going to work out long term, that he was more into freelance work and didn't like to be tied down. Yeah, that would work.

Feeling a bit better about the situation, Akihito forced himself from bed and sleepily made his way into the kitchen, scratching his stomach through his thin shirt absentmindedly as he shivered at the cold air in his apartment, clad only in the thin material and a pair of boxer briefs.

It was getting colder by the day and Akihito knew winter was going to suck that year, however his thin wallet didn't allow for such luxuries as heat so he instead opted to go the "suck it up" route and try to ignore it.

Akihito was in the middle of rooting through his fridge for something to warm him up when he heard three hard raps against his front door. Glancing at the clock he realized it was only nine in the morning and he had to stifle a groan, wondering who could be up this early and what they would want at his apartment.

It wasn't until he was at the door that he realized his rent was due and he stopped in his tracks, wondering if he should risk the peep hole or just pretend he wasn't home altogether.

Three more knocks had him jumping back slightly and he came to the conclusion that whoever was on the other side of that door wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Rolling his eyes, Akihito tried to start thinking of a good excuse as he undid the latches for the lock and cracked the door open.

However it wasn't Akihito's short, constantly frowning, balding landlord. Instead his eyes met a broad chest and he slowly peered up to see the same large blonde man that had taken him to his appointment with Asami.

Suddenly feeling very self-conscious about his disheveled appearance and lack of clothing, Akihito stared for a few moments before finding his voice, "Uh…hello?"

The man stared down at him for several seconds, his gaze leaving Akihito on edge as he felt the man take in every detail as if he were making mental notes of him. It was only a few seconds before the man finally spoke, his voice monotone and practiced, "Asami-sama requests that you are fitted by his personal tailor for his upcoming event. I was sent to ensure you are prepared for his arrival in thirty minutes."

Akihito blinked several times as he stared at the mountain of the man before him, embarrassment flushing his skin a slight pink as he realized he was inadvertently being made fun of. Of course the rich successful socialite would assume Akihito too crude to have his personal tailor in his home, wouldn't want to embarrass the great Asami Ryuichi of course.

Well, maybe he wasn't too far off, Akihito groaned as he looked over his shoulder and realized the state of disarray his apartment was in. Shaking his head he turned to the man once more, "Uh, yeah, no problem. I'll make sure everything gets cleaned up before he gets here." Moving to shut the door, Akihito was almost successful until a large foot blocked it from fully closing and the man, what was his name again, Suoh? Spoke once more, "Asami-sama has requested that I stay and ensure that the appointment is completed."

It was obvious to Akihito that the Suoh would rather be anywhere than stuck here babysitting him like an overgrown child, but he seemed determined to follow out the odd request from his boss.

Who the hell orders a hulking monster like this guy to watch a tailoring appointment anyways?

Realizing his efforts to stave the man off were futile, Akihito rolled his eyes and let the man enter his apartment. He began absentmindedly picking things up as Suoh awkwardly stood in the doorway, watching him.

Within ten minutes he had the entire living and kitchen space cleaned, it wasn't as if he was dirty, he was just too tired to pick things up sometimes.

Placing his hands on his hips and sighing, Akihito turned and looked at the blonde monster who looked extremely out of place in his tiny apartment and shook his head, any attempt to understand his being there out the window and began walking towards his bedroom, casually shouting, "I'm gonna go shower. Just…sit on the couch or something. Make yourself at home?" over his shoulder as he shut the bathroom door behind him.

He didn't have many guests over other than Kou and Takato, and they were practically family and made themselves comfortable without Akihito having to play host. Should he make tea? He wasn't sure if he had any food to offer. Shaking his head he stepped under the warm spray of the shower and quickly began washing himself, knowing he didn't have time to enjoy the scarce hot water.

When he finished washing himself and drying off, Akihito made his way to his closet and picked through his clothes, frowning as he looked through them. What did people wear to a suit fitting?

Frustration mounting, Akihito settled on a simple t-shirt and jeans, figuring the less clothing the better as he made his way into his living space to see Suoh still standing in his entryway.

Sighing and shaking his head, wondering if everyone who worked for Asami was that weird, Akihito went to the kitchen and decided that tea might be a good idea after all. He could use something to warm him up as he felt chilled to the bone after stepping out of the shower.

As he removed the kettle from the stove top, Akihito stretched up to reach the cupboard above his stove and pulled down three mugs, pouring the boiling water into them as soon as they were set on the counter.

Picking up two of the steaming mugs, he walked over to the guard who shook his head at his offering and glared slightly, "Y'know, this whole thing is kind of weirding me the fuck out. Why are you here anyways, do I need a babysitter or something to make sure I get fitted?"

Turning on his heel Akihito returned to the kitchen area to set the rejected mug back down, not hearing Suoh's exasperated sigh or his disgruntled reply of, "You and me both kid."

* * *

Asami sipped at the mug of steaming black coffee as he looked over reports at his desk. Setting the mug down, he signed his name on several documents and placed them to the side when he heard the signature knock of his secretary at the door.

Calling out a simple, "Enter." Asami continued to look over the reports until Kirishima was standing before him, bowing slightly in greeting.

"Asami-sama, the tailor has arrived at Takaba-sama's home and is currently taking measurements. I'll have a detailed report of the affair when he leaves."

Asami "Hnn'd" in response before setting the file in his hands down and leaning back in his oversized leather chair. "How is he fairing so far?"

"Not too badly, although he's got quite the temper and a rather short fuse. He snapped at the tailor when he first arrived due to a comment regarding the state of his home" Kirishima relayed as he recalled the short report from Suoh stating that Akihito snapped at the tailor for making a comment on his apartment, having called it "dreary".

Asami nodded and made a mental note to have his tailor replaced without even considering the context. For some reason the idea that the man had insulted the boy in some manner infuriated him to an undesirable extent of which he could not explain.

Trying not to dwell at the nagging feeling beginning at the base of his skull once more, Asami smoothly changed the point of conversation while still remaining on the same topic, "Who did you send to stand guard while the appointment was completed?"

Kirishima bit back a smirk, it crossing his face for a brief moment before it returned to its natural stoic rest and Asami narrowed his eyes as he watched his secretary.

"I sent Suoh sir." Kirishima said as monotonously as he could, obviously trying to keep his passive nature regarding the matter.

"Ah I see," Asami leaned back in his chair once more and picked up a pen from his desk, absentmindedly playing with it before speaking up once more, not looking at the man before him, "Kirishima, why is it that you sent my chief of security to stand guard at a tailoring appointment?"

Kirishima once more tried to hide his smirk and Asami's annoyance grew at the joke that he seemed to not be in on. Tapping the pen in annoyance as he watched his secretary, who hardly ever smiled, cover his mouth and chuckle, Asami snapped out, "What is it Kirishima? Don't make me order you to tell me."

Kirishima slowly stopped chuckling as he realized his boss' temper was rising and he composed himself quickly, clearing his throat before speaking, "Ah, Suoh _volunteered_ sir." And Asami stared at him in shock, his anger completely forgotten as he caught the inflection in Kirishima's words. Shaking his head slowly as he leaned forward onto his elbows, pressing his clasped hands against his mouth as he remembered a time twelve years prior, a time Kirishima, Suoh and himself vowed to never speak of again, and tried to hold back a laugh while failing miserably.

Asami sat back in his chair and let out another low chuckle, shaking his head at the situation. It was rare for him to have these moments, however Suoh and Kirishima were the closest things he had ever had to having friends, having been with them since his teen years. They were his subordinates, of course, but they were also still the only two people to have ever watched Asami make a fool of himself when he was younger and even supported him during his rocky descent into the underworld of crime.

On the surface their relationship was completely formal, all business and no play, however on rare occasion Asami would indulge himself to drinks with the two men and set aside titles such as boss and employee and instead savor in the company of old friends.

Bringing the mug of coffee to his lips once more, Asami shook his head again and turned to stare out the large expanse of windows where clouds were beginning to roll in, thick and dark with the promise of storms and his mind drifted back to Takaba, who he assumed must be finishing his appointment by now.

As if reading his mind, Kirishima returned to his normal self and informed him that the tailor was now leaving and that Suoh would be returning to Sion immediately to give a report personally. Most likely to give grievance as well for the fact that he was stuck with the job in the first place.

Nodding in acknowledgement, Asami turned back to Kirishima and dismissed him, returning to the ever growing pile of paperwork before him before letting his mind wander to the blonde once more.

The fiery temper was obviously a persistent trait of the boy that Asami couldn't wait to continue toying with. The flames in his eyes when he got worked up did strange things to Asami's mind and body and he was curious as to what prolonged exposure would lead to.

If the incident in his office was anything to go bye, he was sure it would be enjoyable.

* * *

Akihito grumbled the entirety of the time the tailor was in his apartment, his annoyance levels off the radar from the moment the man stepped foot inside.

Of course he had immediately commented on Akihito's apartment, his voice dripping with condescension that made Akihito bristle with anger as he tried to remain polite and professional, knowing that the presence of one of Asami's men meant his behavior was most likely going to be communicated to Asami later on.

It wasn't until the man made another condescending remark under his breath as he began measuring Akihito's waist that he finally snapped at him, calling him a "Snobby jackass that he'd throttle if he didn't shut the fuck up and do what he was being paid to."

Akihito's raging temper kept him from noticing the shocked and slightly impressed look on Suoh's face. The blonde man had heard the boy had a temper but he hadn't expected an outburst like that and he suddenly felt bad for his initial assumptions regarding the blonde during his first weeks of surveillance.

The tailor himself had taken the hint and shut his mouth, quickly taking the measurements and leaving quickly, tossing the words, "Your suit will be ready tomorrow," over his shoulder before hurrying out of the apartment, most likely in fear Akihito would make good on his promise if given the opportunity.

Shaking his head, his anger hardly subsiding, Akihito stormed into the kitchen to clean up the tea he had made, mumbling under his breath about "ungrateful guests" and "wasting his good tea" on them.

Suoh cleared his throat before announcing that the suit would be dropped at the apartment tomorrow after it was completed before bidding him farewell and leaving without waiting for a response, deciding he did not want to become the new target of anger himself.

As soon as his apartment was empty Akihito leaned back against his countertop and tried to calm his frantic heartbeat and rising temperature. He knew he was upset about the comments but he couldn't quite place why it had cut him so deeply. Gripping the countertop, Akihito fought off a wave of nausea and closed his eyes as the room began to spin and he realized he must be close to blacking out, his breath suddenly beginning to come much more quickly as he tried not to hyperventilate.

It could happen if his emotions got to be too much and his body went into overdrive, and he tried to fight off the inevitable oncoming attack by counting to ten and trying to slow his breathing.

When the symptoms failed to subside and he realized it was going to happen whether he liked it or not, Akihito slowly let go of the security his grip on the countertop gave him from the fear of falling flat on his face and slowly made his way to the couch, leaning heavily on furniture until he reached his intended destination.

It was only a few moments after Akihito reached the safety of a soft landing before his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell forward onto the cushions, completely motionless.

* * *

It was close to midnight when the tailor finally finished the suit for the bratty blonde kid he had fit earlier in the day.

His boss had contacted him, saying that the kid was a priority client that needed completed immediately. Some priority he turned out to be.

Grumbling to himself, the tailor began to pack his items to head home after the long night of overtime. His wife was most likely already in bed, exhausted from a day of chasing after their young son.

Letting a small smile slip, the tailor shook away his frustrations from the day as he thought of his beautiful family waiting for him at home. His boss knew of his new addition and had given him a healthy bonus to ensure his continued work in the face of a new child and he was forever grateful, the sum of money being enough to start a savings account for his young son as well as give his family enough financial cushion to buy a larger home.

As he stepped out of his small shop in a busy district, eerily quiet at the current time of night, the tailor locked the door and tightened his coat around him as he braced the cold on his walk home, thoughts of his family pushing him to continue the journey.

However the tailor was unaware that he wouldn't see his wife that night, that she wouldn't greet him with a sleepy hello and a chaste kiss. That he wouldn't sneak into the room of his sleeping son, place a kiss on his forehead and watch him dream.

He was unaware that he would not see the sun rise the next morning, and that he was being watched.

* * *

Akihito woke up the next morning and blinked slowly at the rising sun blinding him from his living room window.

Had he really slept almost twenty-four hours?

Shaking his head in disbelief, Akihito sat up slowly and gripped the cushions of the couch as the room spun around him and he tried to get a grip on himself. It wasn't unusual that he had a hard time coming to after a severe attack like the one he experienced, although he was still confused as to what had caused it.

He had been angry of course during his appointment, but not enough to warrant the type of reaction his body and psyche decided to give him.

Slowly the room came to a stop and Akihito carefully stood up and made his way to the bathroom, having not released his bladder in almost a day suddenly hitting him with full force as he desperately realized he needed to pee.

Moving to wash his hands when he finished, Akihito looked up into the mirror groaned at the large bags under his eyes, wondering how he still managed to have them despite his ridiculously long sleep.

Grumbling he made his way back into the living room and began to dig around for his cellphone, finding it buried under a cushion and slid the lock screen open.

He had several texts, mostly from Kou and Takato trying to talk him into coming out the previous night and chastising him for not answering. There was also one from Mitarai who asked what scoop he was following the night prior. Confused, Akihito answered him stating that he hadn't been following anything.

It was only a few moments before Mitarai sent a response, chastising him for trying to hog his information and stating that he had seen him walking down a dimly lit street around four in the morning. He himself had been on his way home from the bar and called out to Akihito but didn't receive a response and assumed he must have been on the job.

Akihito shook his head in confusion and realized Mitarai must have been drunkenly yelling at some poor guy who was most likely making their drunken way home as well.

Dropping the phone onto the small coffee table in front of him, Akihito let himself fall back onto his couch and slouched, wondering how he was so tired despite the obnoxious amount of sleep he had gotten.

Shaking his head he chalked it up to mental fatigue from the stress he must have put on his brain and decided it would be best to just get ready for the day and push through so as not to throw his system off any worse than it already was.

* * *

The tailor was good at his job, had a loving family, was an upstanding member of society and had no known enemies.

Therefore Asami could not understand why he was receiving news of his death from one of the men who had gone to pick up the tailored suit for Akihito. He had of course decided to fire the man yesterday, but it pissed him off to the ends that that opportunity was now lost to his death, at the hands of someone else.

Someone else who seemed to be making a habit of killing Asami's own intended targets. He didn't plan on killing the tailor, but he wasn't above breaking several bones to ensure his silence after years of service to the crime lord.

However there seemed to be a silver lining to this incident as the attacker had let himself be caught on camera. It was obvious to Asami that this kill was not as methodical as the others, he would have considered it to even be a random act of violence if it weren't for the obvious signatures left behind, or the way the man's mouth was slashed apart and the fact that his tongue was missing, seemingly ripped from his mouth and not cut. This was the first time a trophy had been taken and the corners of Asami's mouth turned upwards at the thought that he was playing cat and mouse with a serial killer. A serial killer with very passionate aggression for his victims that always seemed to correspond with Asami's own plans for torture.

It was almost as if he was being baited, taunted, as if the man was encouraging him to try and catch him, beat him to the intended victim and outdo him. He let himself be seen by the camera because he wanted to be seen.

He was showing off in his own way and Asami was extremely impressed.

Unfortunately he was unable to see his face and could only make out a lithe body coming up behind the tailor as he made his way up the street from his store and rendering him unconscious before quickly taking him back to his place of origin, using the unconscious man's keys to open the store and drag the man inside.

Of course he had been smart enough to shut off the security alarm, Asami wasn't surprised to find that the tapes from the store itself had been erased. He was daring but not stupid and knew that risking Asami seeing his face so quickly would end the game too soon. Much too soon.

Sitting back in his chair as he read over the report and looked through the bloody pictures of the scene, Asami wondered what connections the killer could have to these men that caused him to torture them so passionately, the fact that he ripped out the tongue of the tailor was evident that he had some sort of personal motivation behind doing so.

Shaking his head Asami wondered if he should let himself get so personally involved, it was most likely that the man would be caught within several weeks and would be a low ranking assassin attempting to play mind games with him that he would dispose of and completely forget. Yet Asami couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to it, something about it he was attracted to and couldn't ignore.

Closing the file and setting it on the edge of his desk, Asami decided to move on from the violent topic and turned his attention to the preparations for the lounge opening in just a few day. Everything was ready and he was just finalizing the details, ensuring he was satisfied with the end result before agreeing to have it opened to the public.

Smirking as he looked over the guest list of those who had been invited to the opening, Asami couldn't help but let his mind wander to the blonde photographer he would be seeing in only a few short days.

He wouldn't admit it out loud but he was dying to see those eyes full of fire again and had to stop himself from showing up at the boy's apartment uninvited, knowing he wouldn't be able to control himself from taking the boy then and there if he did.

He was determined to make Takaba submit to him willingly, the thought of taming those eyes for himself only gave him a sense of excitement comparable to that he felt earlier when thinking of his new game with the killer.

Shaking his head and letting out a low chuckle as both men came to his mind and he remembered that at one point he had Takaba under suspect as the killer. What a ridiculous thought, the boy had a loud bark but was a bristling kitten in reality when backed into a corner, evident from their encounter earlier in the week.

However the two colliding thoughts led Asami to wonder if he was wrong to involve someone like Takaba in his lifestyle, knowing full well that the boy was a crime photographer at heart and most likely knew of his illegal activates to some extent. Then again, the boy hadn't brought it up during their initial meeting and Asami felt confident that he did not have to worry about the blonde attempting to turn him into a news story.

The boy was interesting and Asami couldn't wait to figure out the inner workings of his mind. Suddenly feeling very ready for the next two days to pass, Asami decided to make a plan to get to know Takaba all the better that night.

* * *

It was the day of the lounge's opening and Akihito was fumbling with his tie as he fidgeted in his new tailored suit, grateful the tailor himself had not delivered it.

Failing for the third time to tie it properly, Akihito was about to look up a tutorial on his phone when he heard a knock at his door and groaned when he realized someone must be there to pick him up for the event.

Rushing into the living room with the tie haphazardly around his neck, Akihito pulled the door open and looked up, not expecting to meet a pair of dangerous golden eyes and a deadly smirk.

Standing there in shock, the door wide open, Akihito quickly glared at the older man, heat rising to his cheeks as he remembered their last encounter and he mumbled a greeting before stepping back, inviting the older man into his home.

Asami continued to smirk at the reaction of the boy in front of him and accepted the invitation, taking the opportunity to survey the apartment himself.

He had seen in reports that the apartment was small and under furnished, hardly a suitable living space, but it was also evident Akihito was proud of his own space and tried hard to make it as much of a home as he could.

Watching the younger boy struggle with his tie, Asami stepped forward and grabbed it from Akihito's hands before murmuring, "Allow me." and tying it efficiently with ease, taking the opportunity when tightening it to bring his face close to Akihito's.

The scowl he received in return was the reaction he was hoping for and he smirked, stepping back before speaking up, "You clean up well."

Akihito glared in response to the compliment, if one could call it that, before adjusting his cufflinks and staring at the man, "Not to be rude, Asami- _sama,_ but what exactly are you doing here associating with the photographer when you have an event to host?"

Asami just smirked at him and slipped his hands into his pockets, enjoying the look on the younger boy's face for a few moments before speaking, "How else are you supposed to arrive to the event than with the host himself?"

Akihito stopped what he was doing at stared at him in shock, what Asami said slowly processing, "You mean I'm riding to the event with you? In what, a limousine? You're riding to your prestigious snobby socialite event with the lowly photographer?" Akihito's words had more bite to them than he intended but he couldn't help the defense mechanism he had used since childhood, in reality he was just in shock that he would be arriving to one of the most talked about event of the year with the infamous Asami Ryuichi.

Asami laughed softly, a sound that soothed Akihito's ruffled nerves, much to his displeasure. Quickly grabbing his camera bag and assuring he had his cell phone and keys, Akihito stepped out of the apartment followed by Asami and locked his door. They made their way down to the limo where Kirishima was waiting and held the door open for them, smiling and nodding at Akihito who looked extremely uncomfortable with the entire situation.

The limo ride was silent as Akihito sat on the opposite side of Asami, who was sipping a glass of brandy and watching Akihito intently, that infuriating smirk still present on his face as he crossed his legs.

Akihito shifted uncomfortably in the plush leather seat and fiddled with the strap of his camera bag, trying to calm his erratic heartbeat. However it only seemed to increase in tempo as he felt the limousine pull to a stop and the chatter of people outside of Club Sion waiting to get into the exclusive opening. Akihito was instantly grateful that he was the only photographer there that night as he was sure if his image was plastered all over the tabloids next to Asami Ryuichi's the next day that his friends and coworkers would never let him live it down.

Asami sat his glass down and reached over and to grab Akihito's hand and didn't give him the opportunity to protest as the door to the limo opened and people began to point and wonder what celebrity must be arriving in such style.

Smirking as he stepped out of the limousine, pulling a blushing and flustered Akihito behind him, Asami turned in front of the crowd and pressed his lips to the younger boy's ear intimately, murmuring, "You asked why I would want to arrive to such a prestigious event with you in tow, but my question is why wouldn't I want to arrive with the most beautiful person in attendance?"

Smirking at Akihito's dumbfounded expression, Asami squeezed the blonde's hand to encourage him to keep walking and led him inside past the waiting line full of questioning stares and already forming gossip about who the blonde man with Asami was.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I really struggled getting this one going for some reason, I know it's been kind of slow paced regarding the relationships between Asami and Akihito but it's going to pick up a lot in the next chapter so just be a bit more patient for me. Thank you for reading I'm glad that a lot of people seem to be enjoying the story!


	6. Chapter 6

Hello everyone! Sorry this one has been a long-time coming, however I just returned home from university today after finishing finals! Sorry it took a bit of a hiatus but school was keeping me pretty busy and I didn't want to give you guys a half finished uneventful chapter so I made you wait awhile, I hope you can forgive me. Thank you for reading and reviewing and I hope you all enjoy the new chapter! Also please read the endnotes!

Chapter 6

Akihito stood in the corner of the lavish and crowded lounge and fumbled with his camera, adjusting the already perfect settings in an attempt to occupy his hands and distract his racing heart and thoughts.

Asami had guided him into the event with his hand on the small of his back, that annoying smirk ever-present on his lips, before he had bent down and murmured in his ear that he was going to go mingle and informed Akihito to, "Be on his best behavior."

What was he, a fucking kid? Akihito ground his teeth in annoyance before lifting the camera to take a wide angle panorama of the lounge from the back. The quality was beautiful and Akihito couldn't help but smile at the gorgeous pictures he was capturing that night despite the event so far.

He had a few people attempt to "accidentally" be caught in the moments of his shots, others brazenly stepping into the line of the camera and even some coming directly to him and asking to be photographed. So far Akihito had deleted any pictures containing persons directly, remembering Asami's warning to focus on the environment and not individuals.

However, there was one individual in particular he couldn't seem to keep his camera off.

Asami stood in the center of the room, a glass of brandy in his hand as he spoke politely with members of an elite class Akihito was far below. A woman let out a raucous laugh as she grabbed at his forearm possessively, causing some of the brandy to spill from the glass and on to Asami's expensive suit and shoes.

Akihito smirked and clicked the shutter just as it happened, capturing the moment perfectly including the look of horror on the woman's face and the subtle disgust in Asami's eyes as he stared at his now tainted clothing. This one would be going into his personal file.

Asami left the small group, assuring the now mortified woman that it was alright, however Akihito continued to follow the scenes with his camera as Asami walked away and several seconds later Suoh arrived and escorted the woman away.

Chuckling to himself, Akihito lowered his camera and began rolling through the film once more as the party roared around him. He was several hours in and things showed no sign of slowing down which excited and worried the photographer. He had taken many beautiful shots but there wasn't much more to capture other than the events themselves, however Akihito did not enjoy the thought of standing around several more hours waiting for something to happen. Just as he was trying to decide if he should leave or try to find Asami, the man himself appeared behind Akihito and placed his hand on his shoulder, causing the smaller boy to jump in surprise as he whirled around to face the larger man, glaring when he saw who it was.

Asami let out a small laugh at his reaction before he spoke, his smooth baritone making Akihito shiver unconsciously, "Enjoying yourself this evening? You seem to be rather enthralled in your work. I'm sure the final prints will be wonderful."

Akihito continued to glare for a moment, annoyed at the infuriating smirk of the older man, before remembering he was working and needed to remain professional. Taking a small step back from the older man, Akihito put on a passive expression and tried to calm his erratic pulse before speaking, "I've taken quality shots of all your requested areas that I'm sure will meet your expectations. However, at this point there's not much more I can photograph other than the people mingling."  
Asami continued to smirk at him as he spoke, causing the photographer's blood to boil as he tried to figure out what this guy's deal was. Before he could open his mouth again Asami took a step forward towards Akihito, "Oh really?" there was a slight chuckle and a pause at Akihito's flushed face as he took a step back and Asami another forward, "It seems as if you have something in particular you are trying to capture though, is that not correct?"

Akihito continued to step back, each time Asami instantly responding with a slightly larger one forward, until he felt his back hit the wall and the towering man was blocking his path. Akihito glanced over his shoulder and realized that the party was oblivious to the two of them and cursed mentally as he tried not to blush and show his nervousness around the older man, "I don't know what you're talking about. My photos are completely professional and focus strictly on the environment as instructed."

Asami made a "Tsk" before reaching forward and grabbing Akihito's camera from him with long, nimble fingers causing the photographer to glare and swipe his arms trying to grab it back from the larger man who held it just out of his reach.

"Hey that's my best camera, give that back I can't afford to replace it. Hey, wait, what are you doing? Quit going through my photos I have personal stuff on that thing!" The photographer was trying his best not to raise his voice but being trapped between the wall and the hulking man before him was making him hotter than he wanted and caused his pulse to elevate and his breathing to labor. The struggle to take back his camera was making the small blonde even more flustered as he scowled and cursed openly at Asami who was smirking as he casually went through the photos on Akihito's memory card.

Professionalism aside Akihito realized the dangerous territory he could be entering as he watched the man's expression before him as he looked through the photos, half of which were of him, making Akihito resort to whining as he desperately jumped in an attempt to get a grip on the camera.

It wasn't until Asami decided he was content with his exploration that he handed the camera back to Akihito, who snatched it from the man a bit too hastily as he shoved it safely into his camera bag and averted his eyes, trying desperately to look passive and professional but failing as guilt and embarrassment swept through him at being caught watching the older man.

Asami stepped impossibly closer to the flustered photographer before him and placed his hand on the wall next to the younger boy's head, smirking down at him as the blonde tried desperately to look anywhere but him, "If you wanted to get to know me better Akihito, all you have to do is ask. I'd be more than happy to spend some quality time with you getting to know one another very personally." Asami brought his face down closer to Akihito's, who in turn snapped his eyes to meet Asami's. There was a flash of confusion, arousal and sheer panic before the tidal waves of blue settled on the emotion Asami loved to see more than anything, fiery hate.

"In your dreams asshole!" Akihito punctuated his statement with an attempt to knee the older man in the stomach, however it was stopped by Asami who playfully shoved the leg away before stepping back and resuming his professional appearance despite the look in his eyes as they wandered over Akihito.

The golden gaze finally settled on Akihito's blue one and Akihito's thoughts began racing as he scanned for an escape from the ever-building pressure this man's presence was causing. As if sensing Akihito's intent to run the older man grabbed his wrist and began leading him from the crowded and loud lounge who was oblivious to their presence, much to Akihito's panic as he began trying to reason with the much stronger man when he realized no one had noticed them talking let alone their departure, "Uh aren't you supposed to be hosting? It's rather rude to leave your guests like that isn't it? Perhaps you should go back, I'm being paid to perform a job and-"

Asami silenced Akihito with a stare that had the blonde stopping in his tracks. The piercing golden gaze suffocated him with its overwhelming lust and hidden promise that confused and aroused Akihito.

He was unceremoniously pushed into an elevator before being pinned to the wall by Asami who began attacking his mouth with his own.

Akihito let out a gasp of surprise at the action leading the older man to slide his tongue into Akihito's mouth as he moved a hand to fist into his blonde locks, tugging on it in order to tilt his head and give him better access to wha he was seeking.

Akihito moaned at the sensation and grabbed at the front of Asami's suit, pulling desperately at the fabric as he tried halfheartedly to pull away from the onslaught of teeth and tongue as Asami bit his lower lip and sucked on it before he slid his other hand down the elevator wall and stopping when he was level with Akihito's hips, moving it to grab the full globes of Akihito's ass and dig his fingers into the skin through the soft material of his suit.

At the same moment the elevator doors opened and Asami picked up the now shocked and much more compliant Akihito, who in turn wrapped his legs around the older man's waist as he moved quickly down the hallway Akihito briefly recognized through his lust filled haze to lead to Asami's office.

It was only a few seconds before they reached the large oak doors and Akihito's back was quickly slammed up against them as Asami grinded his hips against Akihito's own, causing the younger boy to let out a loud cry at the friction as he grabbed at Asami's shoulders and neck for support. A strong arm came underneath him to support him as Asami used his other hand to push open the door, kicking it shut behind him as he carried the practically mewling blonde into the office, his face buried against the latter's neck as he covered it with licks and kisses and small bites causing the blonde to let out little sighs and gasps of pleasure that made Asami's blood rush to his cock.

Akihito dug his fingers into Asami's shoulders, wrinkling his expensive suit in the process as his head swam with emotions and his thoughts raced blindly through the fog filling his head. How did he end up here? Ten minutes prior he was ready to kick the older man and storm out of the event, never to return again. Now he was pushed up against his desk, moaning like a whore as Asami kneaded his ass with large hands and deft fingers and left marks along the length of his throat with searing hot lips.

As if he could read his mind, Asami pressed his lips against Akihito's now swollen ones in a searing kiss before murmuring softly against them, "I saw you watching me all night, the way your camera followed my every move and how your pupils dilated each time we made eye contact. You're incredibly obvious for someone whose passion requires stealth and tact."

Akihito tensed and could feel his blood boil at the statement. As if sensing the impending meltdown Akihito was about to experience, Asami quickly covered his lips with his own once more to silence the blonde's protests and reduce him once more to a lustful state of compliancy.

It wasn't until he felt the large hand palming his erect cock through his pants that Akihito came to his senses, his eyes shooting open wide at his obvious arousal now being fondled by a highly-amused and just as aroused Asami, evident from the large bulge he was sporting himself.

A sense of panic rising in his throat, Akihito began pushing desperately at the older man's chest as he realized his intentions. It was all happening too fast, too much all at once. The air suddenly became too thick to breathe and Akihito swore his vision was beginning to fade as the room swayed around him as he desperately tried to pull away from the larger man whose assault had now stopped as he watched the young blonde in confusion.

Akihito gave one more hard push against Asami before it went black once more.

* * *

Asami watched as the young blonde went limp and he swore he could hear his own heart beat as he looked on in confusion, holding the limp body against his chest.

It was maybe ten seconds before Akihito took a gasping breath and his eyes shot open wide. Asami jumped slightly in surprise and took a small step back to give the younger man room to breathe. As soon as he did the smaller body quickly pushed his way free from the strong grip Asami had him completely, surprising the older man as the blonde hurried out of his office and down the hallway.

Following after him, Asami noted that the boy had obviously taken the emergency staircase as the elevator was currently disabled at his orders. Pulling out his cell phone, Asami sent an order to have the boy followed and assure that he was safe wherever he arrived before he sat at his large desk, papers strewn across the floor in the dark and ran a hand through his already mussed hair trying to make sense of what had just occurred.

* * *

The two men watched the entrance to large, expensive club and sighed as they checked the clock. Their target had been scheduled to leave hours prior and they didn't understand where he could have gone. One was ready to suggest to the other that perhaps he had gone out a side or back door when the door opened and revealed the mop of blonde hair they had been expecting for hours.

"Go, follow him. Hurry up!" The one in the passenger seat angrily told the driver who began following at a distance with the lights off.

Takaba Akihito had not only killed their men but had also somehow gotten that bastard Asami Ryuichi on his side as well. The two men followed at a safe distance as their hearts beat rapidly in their chest. They were the two remaining survivors of Ogata's group, away on surveillance when the massacres began and had only returned to find their entire clan slaughtered.

Angered and hungry for revenge, the two plotted for weeks as to how they would get the blonde alone and torture him to restore the honor of their clan before trying to rebuild.

They couldn't understand the threat of the blonde, he was small and while potentially agile, hardly seemed the formidable opponent that could take down an entire group as powerful as theirs. However Ogata's records and files they had found were adamant that this boy was responsible and their boss was a smart man, one that would not mistake such a dangerous enemy. Therefore they were being careful to take precautions, however there were two of them and one of him and they knew that with the element of surprise he was not match no matter his skill.

As the blonde turned down a small side street the passenger signaled for the driver to follow, determining this would be where they would jump him, sedate him and then take him somewhere nice and quiet to make sure he suffered for the carnage he had caused.

As the car rolled to a stop the two men stealthily climbed out, the boy still seemed oblivious to their presence and the older man, obviously the senior of the two, pulled out a small syringe from his coat pocket, signaling the younger man to stay behind.

However, overcome by his lust for revenge and anger, the apparent rookie instead charged with all his force at the blonde's back, intending to knock him down with his speed and size.

For the seasoned member, time seemed to slow as he watched the blonde turn, faster than a whip, his bright blue eyes hard and cold as he brought his right leg up impossibly high, leading his foot to connect with the rookie's jaw with the same force of a train hitting a wall.

The rookie's body flew through the air like a rag doll and landed back at the feet of the older man who looked down at it with shock, unaware that he was now shaking in fear at the sight of the man laying before him.

The older man was tempted to drop to his knees, ensure his associates health, but he was too afraid to make a move and bring the wrath of the blonde down on himself. However it was a futile effort as he slowly looked up only to see a quickly moving blur reaching him within seconds and knocking him backwards, his lower back hitting the fender of the parker car and he heard something snap, letting out a low groan of pain as he slowly slumped to the ground.

The blonde moved closer, a much more normal pace now, as he practically seemed to tower over the man, his eyes were dark and cold, not lifeless, but almost inhuman, psychotic.

The blonde slowly crouched in front of him, bringing his face close to the older man's as he began to weep and mumble incoherently, his pride forgotten in his evident fear as the blonde moved his face downwards over the man's body, assessing him.

Suddenly a cruel smirk adorned the pair of full lips and a hand shot out to close around the now gasping man's throat, squeezing it hard enough to cut off his air supply but letting go each time so that the man would not pass out. Slowly as more pressure was added to his throat the man's voice box and larynx were crushed and he began to cough and spit up blood as he desperately tried to scratch the blonde's hand and arm to no avail.

The cold eyes never left his and the cruel smirk stayed in place as more pressure was added and he became more and more desperate to free himself.

Just as he was sure he was going to pass out the hand let go of his throat and the man desperately tried to wheeze as blood filled his lungs, the blonde watched in fascination for a few moments before uttering the first words he'd said since he began, "What a pity, the others lasted much longer than you. Although they didn't fight so hard to live, they took their deaths with pride for the most part. You, however, the way you scratch and pull and plead desperately like a dying animal attempting to chew at its own fatal wounds…how fascinating."

* * *

The blonde slowly moved from his position crouching as he stood and became on high alert when he heard voices nearby, the eyes of the slowly dying man trailed up to watch him as the blonde sighed in annoyance, the same way a child being called in for dinner while out playing would, before murmuring, "Tch. What a waste, I could have had so much fun watching you try to push your own organs back into your body. No matter, I'm sure Ogata's punishments when you reach hell for your failure and cowardice will suffice. I'll have to find a different playmate. Duty calls for now, but first."

Crouching once more, the blonde reached into the small bag he had almost forgotten he'd been carrying and pulled out a pocket knife and trailed it down the front of the man's shirt, popping the buttons as he slowly opened it before revealing the man's chest. Smirking in sadistic glee the blonde slowly pressed the blade of the pocketknife into the man's chest, who in turn desperately tried to scream despite his crushed throat as the blonde made quick work of his chest before he smiled once more, wiped the knife off on the man's pants and put it back in his bag securely before standing once more.

The blonde turned and began jogging down the alley as he heard what he could only presume to be Asami's men approaching. Distracted by the voices calling out for "Takaba-sama" and the wandering thoughts going back to the look of fear in the man's eyes as he slowly crushed his windpipe, the blonde managed to run into a low hanging outturned pole from a broken fire escape and fell hard on his back, a large bump already forming on his head as he breathed hard and stared up at the dark sky, his vision fading out and he groaned inwardly.

He supposed some things didn't change, no matter the circumstances, and let the blackness take over as the man lay dying against the car at the other end of the alley, watching him.

* * *

"Asami-sama."

"Report."

"We found him sir. He seems to be alright although he has a mild head injury and should be checked for a concussion. It seems to be self-inflicted. Takaba, ah, seemed to be running away from some men when he ran into a wayward bar of iron from a collapsed fire escape and knocked himself unconscious."

Asami's grip tightened on his phone as he slipped on his suit jacket and strode to the elevator, pressing the first floor button as Kirishima followed dutifully behind him. He had let Takaba out of his sight for no more than twenty minutes and he had been attacked, "The perpetrators?"

"Dead, sir." Suoh gulped as his voice wavered slightly.

Dead? Asami's eyes hardened, "And the killer?"

"Sir, this may be something you wish to investigate yourself. Takaba-sama is currently being transported to your personal physician as per your orders and we are currently in the process of keeping the scene from the public and police. However we are limited in our available time due to its public and high traffic location. It may be best for you to visit before sunrise and see for yourself."

Asami knew it must be bad if Suoh wanted him to come personally. Asami's mind briefly wandered to the assassin and wondered if he played a part in this. As if reading his mind, Suoh spoke once more, "He uh…left you a message this time."

Asami didn't need to hear anything else. Quickly hanging up Asami made his way to the garage with Kirishima and slid into the back of a sleek black BMW before ordering his right hand to take him to location of the incident, excitement bubbling in his chest and his eyes sparkling.

Lost in thought over the mysterious killer, Asami was unaware of the worried eyes of Kirishima watching him the rearview mirror.

* * *

When he arrived Asami immediately strode past his men to where he saw Suoh standing in front of a black unmarked vehicle, his expression grim as he watched the arrival of his boss.

Asami continued to walk confidently to Suoh's position but stopped when he rounded the car and saw the body leaning against it, head lolled backwards and mouth open wide in a silent scream. His teeth were stained with blood and his eyes were wide open and filled with fear, his throat had been crushed beyond repair and Asami realized he must have slowly choked on his own blood.

However it was the chest that Asami was captivated by. He sucked in a breath and his eyes widened in shock as he stared at the carved mess in the man's skin, a kanji of his own name and a heart, similar to the way one would carve the name of a crush into a tree.

Asami was revolted and mystified by the gesture and continued to stare before being shocked back into reality by Suoh, "We checked for a struggle. It seems he fought but the attacker was wearing long sleeves, all we got was some fabric but we're running DNA now. Other than that the man was meticulous. If it wasn't for, ahem, that," Suoh gestured towards the message, "I'm not sure we would have associated with him."

Asami continued to stare at the lifeless body in a new found fascination before slowly shaking his head and turning, talking to Suoh over his shoulder, "Have this cleaned up. The bodies should be examined for any possible DNA. Find out who they were working for and why they were targeting Takaba. After that have them disposed of and security around Takaba increased until we are sure he is not in danger. I want this taken care of by daybreak."

Asami couldn't stand there any longer, he was becoming too involved in this game with the killer and he realized it could become a potential threat to Takaba. Instead he ordered Kirishima to take him to the hospital to check on Akihito while Suoh dealt with the mess left behind. Asami stared out the window silently as the BMW twisted its way through the streets of Tokyo and he focused his thoughts on the blonde who was most likely now waking up and in a foul mood. Asami smirked to himself as he remembered the blonde blushing below him but it dropped as he got to the part when he had stormed out of the office.

They would need to talk. More so Asami needed to pin him down and fuck him senseless so that he couldn't run away again. The smirk returned to his lips as he thought of Akihito writhing below him and moaning, begging for Asami to fuck him harder and all thoughts of the killer vanished once more.

* * *

Akihito woke slowly and blinked as his eyes tried to adjust to the harsh fluorescent lighting. A curtain drew back and he turned his head to see a nurse making notes on a chart and he groaned with the realization he must be in the hospital.

Noticing he was awake the nurse smiled kindly at him before paging the doctor who walked in with Asami and Kirishima in tow.

Akihito frowned and glared at the golden-eyed man in annoyance, "What the hell are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at your event?"

Asami stood beside the bed and placed a hand on Akihito's head, feeling the large bump of swelling where he had hit it causing the blonde to hiss in pain before he spoke, "What do you remember Akihito?"

Continuing to glare but not in the mood to argue, Akihito spoke reluctantly, "I was at the event, taking pictures. You stopped and spoke with me and then we….we went up to your office…" A blush spread across the boy's cheek as he remembered the rough manhandling Asami had subjected him to and his reactions to it, "That's it though. How did I end up here?"

"You don't remember pushing me away and storming out?" Asami asked, his eyes hardening slightly before they softened once more as he gaze rested on the blonde.

"No, not really. I remember I got upset and started to panic. I uh…I have a disorder that causes me to black out sometimes when I get in extreme situations of stress and I could feel one coming on. That's the last thing I remember before waking up here. God, this is so embarrassing!" The blonde groaned as he threw an arm over his eyes an attempt to shield himself from all the eyes on him, "I don't tell people about it because it doesn't happen often. I must have stormed out in a panic when I blacked out, it's like I get to my natural instincts and my fight or flight instincts kicked in and I ran for it because I felt so…stressed and overwhelmed, I guess. I don't know what's happening during those times and I can never remember it either."

Asami let out a small noise of acknowledgement before turning to speak with the doctor out of Akihito's earshot.

A few minutes later Asami returned and helped the blonde out of bed, "You have a concussion. The doctor says you need to be monitored so I'm bringing you back to my penthouse to make sure you're alright," Watching Akihito begin to protest out of the corner of his eye, Asami cut him off, "He warned me not to get you worked up or stressed as he's not sure what this blacking out can do to you in your current state. Do not fight me on this."

Akihito glared but decided to comply, knowing that concussions needed to be monitored and knowing he couldn't asked Kou or Takato to come sit with him when they had their own lives he decided to take the man up.

"Fine. But I need my equipment from my apartment so that I can edit the photos from your event and- wait where are my cameras!?"

Akihito suddenly spun around and looked desperately in the hallway in which they were standing before a large hand on his shoulder got his attention, "Kirishima has them and will take them to the penthouse. I will have him go collect some of your personal items as well."

Akihito visibly relaxed as his shoulders slumped and let Asami lead him out to the awaiting limo before sliding into the backseat.

It wasn't a few moments before he was out cold in a deep, but normal, sleep and Asami watched him closely as he moved the boy into a more comfortable position, resting his head in his lap as he absentmindedly stroked his cheek.

Asami closed his eyes as the whirlwind of events from the night tried to make sense in his overloaded mind. Whatever the cause, however, he resolved that the protection of Takaba was going to become his top priority. He had thought that tasting the boy tonight would satisfy his urges for him yet it only strengthened them and made him want to hold him closer, chain him to his side and never let him go.

Akihito was a free spirit though and would never willingly chain himself to Asami. Luckily for him, Asami had an advantage at having a reason to keep the blonde locked in his penthouse with him for the time being. Perhaps by then he would be able to convince the blonde to stick around.

Smirking to himself as he thought of all his methods of conviction he couldn't wait to test out on the blonde, after all his dramatic reaction to the small preview he'd received earlier that night proved he was more than receptive to Asami's advanced and intentions, even if it had caused the blonde to black out and run away.

Asami resolved that he would just have to tie the blonde up instead next time and smirked to himself as he thought of it, the heavy weight of the attack in the back of his mind in favor of more pleasurable thoughts.

* * *

Below him, Asami didn't notice the blue eyes staring straight ahead full of cold ice as they felt the large, warm hand stroke his face. The blonde smirked at the affection as he continued to lay still, knowing the older man was too lost in his thoughts to notice he was awake, however his eyes remained emotionless despite the affection he was receiving.

However he couldn't understand why he was awake. After all he wasn't in any danger, no, it must have been something to do with the aching throb at his temple and he decided to close his eyes and relish in the feel of the hand stroking his cheek, his hair, and ignore the fact that he should not be there.

After all, everyone should be allowed to indulge every once in a while.

Instead the blonde took the initiative to nuzzle against the hand and closed his eyes, knowing his movements were subtle enough to imply he was still asleep. He could feel the warm golden gaze on him, full of love even if the man holding it was unaware of it himself.

It was alright, he would know soon enough. Inhaling the scent of the cologne on the dress pants he had his face pressed lovingly against, the blonde let his mind wander to his own pleasurable thoughts as he enjoyed his brief freedom before he felt the darkness starting to swallow him once more.

* * *

Okay so I hope everyone is enjoying the story. I'm not sure how long I want to drag this out, I feel like I need to be careful in the way that I progress from this point forward so I may not be lighting quick on the updates but I promise they will continue to come.

On another note, I have another story plot that I want desperately to work on (don't worry I will wait until this one is complete before starting it) but I'm trying to see if there's much of a fanbase for AU's with Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics or not so if you have an opinion on the matter let me know. I hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading, see you next time!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

When Akihito woke he was on the most sinfully comfortable bed he could ever imagine – and he had no intention of leaving it. However the pressure on his bladder was becoming more and more apparent as the haze of sleep wore off and he slowly blinked open his eyes to stare at an unfamiliar tray ceiling surrounded with a very ornate molding and wondered where the hell he was and whose bed he was sleeping in.

As he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, the throbbing pain in Akihito's head made the previous night's events come flying through like a tornado and he snapped to attention, now fully awake as he looked around to see if he was alone.

Tentatively standing he tested his weight and tried to determine if he would make it to a restroom as the pressure on his bladder came back with a vengeance just as the door to the room swung open. Kirishima walked in carrying a tray with toast and a tall glass of water and quickly set it down as he saw the blonde attempting to shuffle from the bed and ran to his side, grabbing his arm gingerly and supporting the smaller boy, "Takaba-sama, please, you have a very severe concussion and should not be getting out of bed on your own."

Akihito groaned and rolled his eyes in annoyance and would have pulled away if he wasn't sure he'd fall over and pee himself in the process, "I really need to use the restroom. Like, uh, now. Can you at least help me to the door? I can take care of the rest myself."

Kirishima led him to a door off to the side of what he could only presume was Asami's personal bedroom, based off the impeccable décor and sterile feeling, and opened it revealing a lavish western-style restroom causing Akihito's jaw to drop. Kirishima closed the door to give Akihito his privacy as he clung to the countertop to support himself, telling himself to be distracted by the elegant bathroom later and to focus at the task at hand first.

After relieving himself Akihito let out a sigh of relief and made his way back to the large marble topped counter to wash his hands, leaning against the surface with his hips as he looked up to stare at himself in the mirror, jolted by the large swollen knot on the front of his head and the purple and blue bruising that marred its way halfway down his face. Shaking his hands dry he lifted one shakily to trace the bruise and hissed in pain.

Making his way shakily back to the door Akihito turned the knob and was met by Kirishima who dutifully helped him back to the large, larger than he initially realized, bed before placing the tray on the bedside table, "Takaba-sama, Asami-sama had to attend to matters at one of his clubs but should be back by this evening. In the meantime please get some rest and eat something," he gestured to the toast, "there will be a guard posted outside your door until Asami-sama returns. If you need something call out and someone will be there. And please, try not to get out of bed on your own again," Kirishima bowed and swiftly exited the room before Akihito could even process what he had said let alone reply.

Shaking his head Akihito decided he was rather tired still and glanced at the toast and wrinkled his nose, deciding he'd much rather sleep than even attempt to eat right now. Closing his eyes he snuggled back into the soft and extremely warm bed and let sleep overcome him.

* * *

Asami was angry that he had been called away from Takaba to deal with the matter at hand, however it was not something he could afford to put off. His shipment of firearms appeared to have been tampered with upon arrival and now he was in the process of interrogating the man that had been caught.

Swirling the glass of whiskey in his hand, Asami stared down the man who was tied to a chair in front of him and took a sip before asking, "Who were you planning on selling those firearms too?"

The man spit in reply and glared at Asami, causing him to smirk, and Suoh stepped forward and swung the metal baseball bat towards the man' face. The sickening crunch of cracking bone echoed through the warehouse as the bat connected with the man's face. Asami waited a few moments before asking again, however he continued to receive silence. He was ready to signal Suoh again when his phone rang and he held up a hand for Suoh to stop before pulling the phone from his jacket and glancing at Kirishima's name flashing across the screen.

Sliding the answer button, Asami pressed the phone to his ear, "Asami."

"Sir, Takaba-sama woke up. He used the restroom and then returned to bed without eating or drinking. He is currently asleep again however his swelling is not decreasing and his sleep seems disturbed."

Asami's eyes hardened, "Keep an eye on him and call my personal physician to come in and check on him. I'll be finished here soon and return immediately."

Asami hung the phone up before Kirishima could reply and slid it back into his jacket before standing back up. Realizing he needed to speed this process up, Asami set his glass down before stepping towards to the bloody man and grabbing his hand while Suoh came from behind and held his head still, forcing him to stare into Asami's eyes, "Who were you planning to sell the firearms to?"

When he didn't receive a reply Asami broke three of the man's fingers in rapid succession without blinking, causing the man to scream in pain, "I suggest you tell me and soon. My patience is wearing thin."

The man responded with another hateful glare to which Asami smirked. He hadn't had a good fight during a torture in a long time and he desperately wanted to indulge, however he knew he needed to return to Akihito soon and tried his hardest to settle his rising bloodlust.

Instead of asking again, Asami continued breaking the rest of the man's fingers individually, not breaking eye contact with him as he did, his lips twisted in a cruel smirk before he held his hand out and one of his employees stepped forward, placing a large hunting knife in his hand before stepping back.

Asami pressed the blade against the man's cheek and slowly moved it downwards, causing a small trail of blood to follow in its wake before speaking again, "Unless you would like for me to begin slicing off your body parts starting with your hands you will tell me who you were planning to sell to."

Thirty minutes later the man was minus an ear, seven fingers and half of his foot when Asami lifted the barrel of his gun and fired, killing him instantly with a shot between the eyes before holstering his weapon. It had taken longer than he would have liked but he now knew that it was nothing more than some small time gang that had been showing up on his territory lately.

They were small and insignificant enough that Asami had not deemed them worthy of his primary attention, however now it seemed a lesson was in order and Asami ordered Suoh to begin rounding them up after taking care of the mess left in his warehouse.

* * *

When Asami returned home he set down his keys on the small table in the entryway and toed off his shoes before making his way to his bedroom. He had already dismissed the guard for the night and he opened his door to see a sleeping Takaba sprawled across his bed and couldn't help but smirk at the sight.

It was something he could get used to coming home to, and he made his way over to the edge of the bed and sat down gently, trying not to wake the sleeping Akihito.

Kirishima had sent him a comprehensive report from the physician who had come over earlier that evening and it had detailed that Akihito's swelling and severe symptoms were a result of a pre-existing condition. Asami was desperate to know what exactly Akihito was suffering from but restrained himself from waking the boy, knowing the doctor's advice was to let him have as much rest as possible.

Instead, Asami brushed a stray lock of hair from the boy's face before getting up and stripping as he made his way to the bathroom, stepping into his large glass shower. He braced his hands on the tiled wall as he let the hot water beat on his skin and wash away the day's actions and closed his eyes, letting his mind wander to the beautiful blonde currently sleeping in his bed.

The beautiful blonde with the creamiest skin he had ever seen, touched, caressed. With pouting, full lips and eyes full of intense fire that matched that of Asami's. Asami shook his head slowly as his skin became flushed from more than just the hot water and his mind fogged as his body stirred, imaging the blonde writhing beneath him the same way he had when he'd been pinned to his desk.

Only this time the blonde was naked and Asami wouldn't be letting him get away.

Deciding the get out before things got out of hand Asami quickly washed himself as his temperature slowly decreased and his control returned. By the time he was finished he was wrapped in a towel, his hair damp and clinging above his eyes, and he made his way out to the bedroom to see Akihito's still sleeping form sprawled in the opposite direction he had last seen.

Smirking, Asami dropped the towel and made his way over to the bed, lifting the covers and crawling in until he was pressed flush against Akihito where he wrapped his arms around the boy tightly and held his back to his chest. Asami dipped his head to bury his nose in the blonde locks that smelled faintly of rain and honey and closed his eyes, letting himself drift to sleep as he enjoyed the peaceful moment, not knowing what the next day would bring.

* * *

Akihito woke slowly and snuggled into the warmth enveloping him, the haze of sleep still clouding his mind and preventing him from opening his eyes.

 _How early was it anyways?_ He could feel the sun peeking through curtains and warming his already on fire skin and it took all of his will to blink open his eyes and face the harsh reality of wakefulness.

When he did Akihito was met with a wall of tanned muscle and he instantly snapped his head up to see the sleeping face of Asami above his own and felt his heart race and his chest tighten in panic. Pushing desperately at the brick wall in front of him Akihito tried to free himself from the grasp that only seemed to tighten with his struggle. He felt his panic rising and began to breathe heavily as he squeezed his eyes shut and willed himself to calm down.

Suddenly a large hand cupped his face and warm lips were pressed against his throbbing temple whispering soothing words, telling him to calm down and go back to sleep as he continued to struggle. The hand at his cheek rubbed soothing circles with its thumb and Akihito blinked open his eyes and realized tears were flowing freely as he tried to settle his racing heart, his hands shaking as he clutched desperately at muscled biceps, and he looked up to meet the intense golden gaze of Asami and he suddenly felt much calmer.

Akihito's breathing slowed steadily and in a matter of minutes his apparent panic attack seemed to be subsiding and he slowly fell back into an uneasy sleep, exhausted from the attack and Asami felt himself holding the boy that much closer as he remember the terror in those blue eyes.

When Akihito woke again several hours later he was alone in the bed and he felt relief at not having to face Asami immediately. He was embarrassed after his episode that morning, not to mention the incident in Asami's office the other night, and he felt blush creeping up his neck to his cheeks.

Testing his weight as had done previously, Akihito stood slowly and was relieved to feel that he was strong enough to support himself and walk on his own. However he was suddenly freezing standing there in only a thin t-shirt and sleep pants and he turned to grab the large comforter from the bed and wrapped it around his shivering frame as he headed to the door that he could only assume led out of the room.

Cracking it open slowly, he peeked around the opening to see no one around but a light on in a room on the other side of the apartment. Stepping out of the room carefully he made his way over to the light and stopped outside of the door and listened, he could hear Asami speaking softly on the phone but was unsure of what he was saying. He instead opted to wait until the phone call ended before he knocked softly and pushed the door open to reveal a large office, similar in style to the one at Sion, with Asami sitting behind the desk in a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a few buttons undone.

Akihito couldn't help but admire how handsome the older man was and tried not to stare as his eyes met Asami's.

* * *

Asami was in the middle of paperwork when his phone beeped, signaling an incoming call from Suoh which he swiftly answered, "Asami."

"Asami-sama, we found the leader of the gang and are holding him at warehouse four, what are your orders?"

Asami smirked before telling Suoh to cut the man into as many pieces as he had members and send each one a part of him.

Hanging up the phone, he was ready to return to his paperwork when he heard a soft knock at the door and a blonde head poke around it, followed by a lithe body covered in a large comforter.

Asami had to stop himself from smirking at the sight of the flushed boy, wrapped in his blankets and smelling of him as he made his way into the office, pretending that he was not staring at Asami before locking eyes.

"Akihito, how are you feeling?" Asami gestured for Akihito to sit in a large oversized chair he had brought into his office in case the boy had awoken while he was working and sat back, letting the boy get comfortable as he wrapped the blanket tighter around himself.

"Ah…I'm…I'm okay for the most part, my head is still throbbing but the swelling seems to be going down and even the bruising doesn't seem so bad anymore." The boy shifted awkwardly as he looked away and a blush formed on his cheeks, telling Asami he was still embarrassed after this morning and the night in his office.

Asami watched the boy for a few moments and decided to broach a different subject, hoping it would bring answers to his other questions that he knew Akihito was not yet ready for, "I spoke with your doctor. I had him come back for a secondary examination after your swelling didn't seem to be improving. He informed me that you have an underlying medical condition that was heavily impacted by your concussion and caused your symptoms severity to increase tremendously. I was hoping you'd like to tell me about it."

"Oh, that," the blush returned and Asami knew that this condition must have something to do with Akihito's strong reactions and impulsive need to run when he felt confined. Asami sat back and let the blonde mull in his own thoughts for a few moments, opting to let him speak in his own time as he waited patiently.

"You see, it's not really a specific condition. It's more so…a weird thing I've just always dealt with since I can remember," Akihito looked up to see patient gold eyes and felt a slight boost of confidence as Asami listened, "The first time it happened I was at a friend's house. I don't remember quite how old I was, but it couldn't have been older than thirteen or fourteen as it was after my mother had passed away."

Asami noted the flinch the boy gave at the mention of his mother and sad inflection of his voice as it caught in his throat before he cleared it and continued speaking, "We had stayed up practically the whole night watching a bunch of horror movies before we passed out in the living room sprawled on the couch and floor. When I woke up though I was straddling my friend's hips and I had my hands around his throat." Akihito let out a small laugh at the memory of his own shocked expression mimicking that of Kou's who was equally shocked and terrified.

"I immediately freaked out and asked what was happening. He really didn't know either but I guess I had woken up at some point, or rather, I never really went to sleep I guess…anyways I had tried to choke him in his sleep. We kind of just laughed it off and blamed it on the horror movies and violence we had been watching all day. However as I got older I started randomly falling asleep, at least that's what I thought it was, and I'd wake up anywhere from a few minutes to an entire day later with no memory of what had happened to me. I went to the doctor and they told me it was some sort of trigger in my brain, they're not really sure what caused it for sure, but basically when I get in high stress situations or whenever I start to panic and my emotions feel out of control my brain just sort of…opts out and I black out for an indiscernible amount of time. The scary part is I'm actually awake and functioning during these times but I have no recollection and no control over what happens. Sometimes I just sit around my apartment, other times I go outside…"

Akihito begin trailing off as he felt he was beginning to ramble. He looked up expecting to see disgust or disbelief in Asami's eyes but instead was met with a reassuring golden gaze.

"Have you ever spoken to anyone regarding this? Other than a medical physician, I mean."

Akihito's eyes flashed with something that seemed like fear and he quickly shook his head, "No, no. I don't need to see a shrink or anything. I'm completely mentally sound I just have a weird medical condition is all."

Asami took note of the fear in Akihito's eyes and decided not to press the matter further. He was satisfied with the information he had received so far and finally understood why Akihito had ran from his office and the way he had reacted when he woke up that morning. Noting that the boy seemed stressed enough from the talk they had already had, Asami decided to distract him with the one thing he knew Akihito couldn't resist.

"You haven't eaten for a while. How about you go grab a shower and I'll order some sushi. After you eat, if you're up for it, I'll set you up with some software and you can work on the photos from Sion's lounge opening. After all, you still have to complete the job to receive payment." Asami smirked and a small blush came over Akihito who, in response, cursed at the older man, calling him a "perverted bastard" and stomping away to the bedroom with the blanket still wrapped tightly around him.

Asami couldn't help but let out a small chuckle as he texted Kirishima to order an insane amount of sushi and have it brought to the penthouse before he went back to his paperwork, hoping to finish it before the fiery blonde finished his shower.

* * *

Later that afternoon Akihito was sitting comfortably, much more so than he'd like to admit, on Asami's large plush white couch as he stuffed himself full of expensive sushi. He had been hungrier than he initially realized as he downed his fifth plate and sat back when he finished, rubbing his stomach in appreciation at his finally satiated hunger.

Asami on the other hand was sitting in a high-backed armchair, nursing a glass of brandy and hadn't touched any of the food. Instead he had been watching Akihito's antics with amusement and he enjoyed the glow that was beginning to radiate off the boy's skin as he ate, looking full and much healthier than before.

Akihito's eyes sparkled as he laughed, making small talk with the older man had been much easier than he initially thought and he was pleasantly surprised to find his company comforting and welcoming rather than intrusive and conversation had flowed much easier than he had expected.

Hours had passed and before he knew it Akihito had felt himself dozing on the couch. At some point earlier Asami had moved to the couch and had an arm draped around the sleepy blonde, they had been watching some comedy special on television, however they had hardly focused on it as Asami's mind wandered to the emotional fragility the blonde had shown him earlier that day and he vowed to set the boy up with a psychologist the next day.

Something was obviously bothering him on an emotional level however it seemed as if Akihito was repressing whatever it was that had disturbed him so deeply and Asami was determined to get to the bottom of it so that Akihito could heal properly.

The blonde himself was lost in his own thought as he leaned against Asami's chest, resting his head on it as he drifted in and out of consciousness. He was shocked by his sudden willingness to cozy up to Asami and couldn't understand why he felt so comfortable around the older man. It scared him to let himself become so vulnerable to a man he felt he hardly knew, yet it felt right with Asami. When he had opened up earlier that afternoon he had shocked himself, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he knew what was happening, he hadn't told him everything, of course, but it had been enough to shock the hell out of him.

Yet he didn't feel scared or worried that Asami would use it to his advantage. Instead he felt safe as he felt muscular arms envelop him before cradling him against a large, muscled chest, after which he was carried into Asami's bedroom and laid out on the bed.

Eyes half-closed, Akihito looked up at Asami through heavily lidded eyes and felt at peace, knowing that while he was with the older man he would be safe and therefore he could let his guard down. He felt that intense golden gaze burning down at him before he blinked once, twice, and slowly drifted to sleep, completely content with the outcome of the day.

* * *

Asami stared down at the boy sleeping peacefully and couldn't help but smile at the contented look on his face as his eyes fluttered closed. Enjoying the sight for a few more moments, Asami let the blonde's breathing even out to ensure he was truly asleep before he stripped the boy down to his boxers, stripping himself afterwards, and climbing under the covers of his bed and pulling the boy close against him.

Asami was not one to let many people into his personal life and to let this boy sleep in his own bed, live in his home, without even having a gun nearby made Asami question just what exactly his feelings for the blonde were. As he closed his eyes and pulled the boy even closer, nuzzling his head in the blonde locks, Asami vowed that he would find out everything he could about the boy and ensure the fire that had attracted him in the first place never went out.

* * *

It was dark when woke up. The heavy curtains were drawn and he felt suffocated as he tried to breathe, opening his eyes he was met with tanned muscles and his eyes widened but did not change expression.

He was awake. Why was he awake? The boy was happy, happier than he had been in a long time, so why was he awake.

Not that he was complaining, of course. He was quite content with the view and he sighed as he enjoyed the feel strong muscles enveloping him in warmth. This was what he had wanted more than anything. He was too stupid to admit it, of course, but he knew. And he would take advantage of this time he had.

Of course it still perplexed him as to why he was awake and he began to wonder if this had anything to do with the head injury he had sustained.

Sighing, he was unable to find comfort in the warmth surrounding him as he thought of that day. The boy was stupid, he had said too much and he was sure that Asami could see it, his sharp eyes never missed a thing. And while he desperately wanted those sharp eyes on him he knew it wasn't time. Too early.

Worry began to creep into his gut, an unfamiliar feeling, and his curiosity got the better of him as he slowly untangled himself from the larger body surrounding him, being extremely careful to not wake the older man, and determined himself to search the man's office and see if he had made any note of acknowledgement.

He couldn't enjoy and indulge in the man's embrace with the worry creeping on his skin and he stepped lightly through the apartment, his footsteps not making a sound as he made his way to the home office.

The door was thankfully unlocked and he opted to not turn on the light, instead using the moonlight shining through the large expanse of windows to search instead. He looked through every drawer and picked through the stack of papers on the desk, a cold smirk on his lips as he read about Asami's extracurricular activities.

He was about to leave when he spotted it, a small shine of light reflecting off the flat metal surface tucked under file he had not yet investigated.

Long fingers reached forward to stroke the small object before he picked it up and brought it up to the light, a scowl on his beautiful face as he saw the boy's beloved keychain. He knew it had been missing but figured the scatterbrain must have dropped it while out on one of his suicide missions. It seemed Asami had found it though and that couldn't be good news for him.

Setting the keychain back down he picked up the file and began flipping through it, his eyes getting softer as he realized it was a file on him. All his hard work was being documented and cherished by Asami and it made his chest fill with warmth.

His messages were being received and Asami was obviously receptive to his proposed game. Of course, there was the problem of the boy, but that could be easily solved. However as he got to the end of the file he found handwritten notes in Asami's elegant cursive that made his blood run cold and his eyes harden, they detailed his concern for the boy's safety, believing him to be a potential target of his. The notes detailed heightened security of the boy and indicated the strong feelings the man was obviously harboring for him, whether he realized it or not.

Setting the file back down he trailed his fingers across the desk and inhaled the scent of Asami that overpowered anything else in the room. His fingers traced over the glass left there from an earlier glass of whiskey and he lifted it, bringing it to his lips to drink as he imagined his own lips on Asami's imagining what they would taste like.

He set the glass back down closed his eyes, letting the aura of Asami that was left behind envelop him as he made a vow to himself to get the man's undivided attention. This would not do and he was going to have to change things up if he wanted it to work out.

When he opened his eyes he saw a pair of golden ones staring back at him from the door way, a large silhouette barely visible from the moonlight and their eyes locked.

He smirked, his eyes still cold and dead but hard, betraying the smile on his lips as he stared the older man down. Before he could say anything he made his way over to the older man and grabbed his chin, planting a hard, open mouthed kiss on the older man before he could even react.

The boy was too scared to do this but he wasn't, he wasn't afraid to give Asami what he wanted, and when he pulled away moments later with a coy smirk he made it very clear to the older man just what he was willing to give.

* * *

Asami awoke to an empty bed and his eyes shot open as he realized it was still the middle of the night, and Akihito was gone. Climbing out of bed, he pulled on his robe before walking out of the room and see his office door open.

Making his way across the living room, Asami stopped in the doorway as he watched Akihito stare with longing at his desk, his fingers traced the patterns of the wood grain before he grabbed Asami's forgotten whiskey glass and lifted it to his lips.

Asami was mesmerized by the way Akihito was moving. So fluidly and gracefully, nothing like the clumsy, embarrassed Akihito he was used to. As he watched the boy set the glass down, his eyes closed, Asami couldn't help but shake the feeling something wasn't quite right.

His assumption was confirmed when the boy's eyes opened and he saw nothing in them.

They were cold and empty, even when he saw the boy smirk the smile didn't reach his eyes and it disturbed Asami to an extent.

However before he could react or call out Akihito had made his way over to him quickly, faster than he thought possible, and had crushed their mouths together kissing him breathless as nipped at his lips and swirled their tongues together.

Before he knew it Akihito had pulled away and given him another smirk, one that didn't reach his eyes again but that touched Asami in places that had him frozen as he watched the blonde saunter across the living room and back into the bedroom.

As Asami slowly came to grips with what had just happened he had completely forgotten about the blonde being in his office and instead followed him back to the room, the promise in those eyes had caused lust to take over completely as he followed the blonde into the bedroom.

* * *

A.N. I seem to be having trouble writing for this story lately due to the fact that I've become extremely lazy while on break from university and that I get myself so excited over the millions of other ideas I want to write about that I want desperately to play with the new shiny stories. However I am determined to finish this story before I start anything else and to provide you all with quality updates. So sorry if they seem far apart but I want to give you all quality writing and not something I think up at 3 a.m. in an attempt to finish this and move on to the next thing, which is the last thing I really want to do as I love this story.

Anyways, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! I think you can guess what's probably gonna happen next but I'll just go ahead and leave that up to your imaginations until the next update. Until next time! Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

Hello everyone! I'm so glad that everyone seems to be enjoying the story so far. I had a terrible time with this chapter and rewrote the first half probably five times before I settled for what's below. I hope it's satisfactory to everyone and that the extra length makes up for any unhappiness or disappointment with the first half as well as the extra wait you all had for this chapter.

Chapter 8

When Asami arrived Akihito had already stripped completely, his back to the door as he stood in front of the expanse of windows where the curtains had been drawn back. He was cloaked only in moonlight, even the bright lights from the city below seemed to fade in comparison to the way the moonlight clung to Akihito's already luminescent skin, the way it hugged him like a garment and accentuated the soft angles of his body and the curve of his ass had Asami's skin feel as if it had suddenly caught fire.

He took a step forward, the noise causing Akihito's head to turn over his shoulder. The smirk returned and the light danced off the boy's features and reflected his large, blue eyes, but the lifelessness in his eyes had Asami stopping once more.

This was wrong, beyond wrong. He knew Akihito would never willingly submit to him, let alone instigate any type of intimacy, particularly after the recent trauma he had suffered. He must be having an attack, unaware of what exactly he was doing, and Asami could not let himself be seduced by the blonde vixen now standing across the room from him, oozing confidence and desire that aroused Asami's already potent need for the boy.

No, he couldn't go through with this, he needed to get Akihito in bed and back to sleep before he came to and realized what exactly he was doing. If he were to wake up halfway through Asami could never forgive himself, wouldn't be able to look in those bright blue eyes the next day knowing that he had violated Akihito at his most vulnerable, even if the boy was unknowingly coercing him into doing so.

Asami took another step forward but something in his stride or face must have given him away as the smirk on Akihito's lips faltered and he spoke, "Is the view not to your liking?" he asked, a hint of betrayal in his voice at the idea of being rejected and Asami itched to take the boy in his arms and throw him on the bed so that he could fuck him until he knew just how much he enjoyed the current view. The lifeless blue eyes were trained on Asami as the boy slowly turned.

Asami caught himself before he made any audible noise, but he was sure his blown pupils and the obvious bulge of his swollen cock beneath his robe made his feelings obvious as he stared, mesmerized, at Akihito's naked form bathing in the moonlight radiating nothing but purity and innocence.

Bringing a fist up to his mouth, Asami coughed a bit and averted his eyes and he tried to calm his rising desire before instinct took over and he did something he would regret. He needed to think of something to get Akihito back in bed and asleep, and fast, before he pressed that lithe body against the expanse of windows so he could enjoy the way the light played on his skin while he teased and touched the boy, memorizing all the beautiful sounds Akihito was sure to make.

Akihito took a few steps forward, his eyes never leaving Asami as he neared the older man, Asami was beginning to feel desperate, and was that…panic? He was not panicking. Asami Ryuichi did not panic, he was calm and collected, always in control, however he could feel his control snapping with every step the boy took towards him.

It wasn't until he spoke again that Asami realized Akihito was now directly in front of him, his eyes snapping towards the blonde as he spoke, "You're hard." Akihito whispered as he pressed his open palm against the noticeable bulge attempting to peek out between the folds of Asami's robe, staring up at him with his lips slightly parted and his other hand snaking up Asami's bicep, over his shoulder and the nape of his neck into the black locks that rested there.

Asami snapped.

He grabbed the boy by the waist and tossed him easily onto the large bed. In an instant he was over him, his large hands on either side of the blonde's head as he ravaged the younger man's mouth with his own, tongues clashing for dominance as he ground his hips downward, rolling them against Akihito's who cried out in response, giving Asami the opportunity to gain the upper hand as he discarded his robe carelessly, his tongue probing Akihito's mouth with reckless abandon.

His mind felt clouded and fogged as he moved his lips to Akihito's neck, biting and sucking on the marks he made, leaving large red spots on the pale creamy skin that he was sure would be there for days to come. Akihito was writhing beneath him, trying to roll his hips upwards against Asami's but a hand quickly pinned them against the bed as he moved lower and brushed his lips over the sensitive bud of Akihito's nipple, nipping at the tender nub before he took it in his mouth, rolling his tongue around it before sucking hard.

Akihito cried out at the rough treatment of his flesh but Asami did not relent until the tender skin was bruised and swollen from his attention before he moved to the other one, Akihito's cries and moans spurring him until he completed his assault and moved to sit upright across the blonde's thighs.

Staring down he soaked in the view of Akihito lying on his back flushed and panting, hair elegantly disheveled and his lips swollen and still wet from earlier kisses, but Asami faltered once more when he locked eyes with the blue pools below him.

Cold. Lifeless.

Akihito would already be terrified when he woke with hickeys on his neck and bruises on his hip from Asami's crushing grip he had applied in his haze of lust. He had to stop, but the coercive look Akihito was giving him was making it very hard to deny the obviously needy blonde below him, as well as the pressing need of his own he had been feeling since first laying eyes on the boy.

Normally he would not give it a second thought, would take the boy without apprehension and to euphoric heights, places he knew Akihito had never experienced or even considered.

But he wanted to see those eyes, brimming with emotion as orgasm ripped through his body, to see them well with tears as he begged Asami not to stop, to fuck him harder, deeper, to take him over the edge again and again as they both lost themselves in one another. Asami wanted to hold Akihito in his arms and fuck him slow and deep, watch his eyes fight for strength as he resisted what he so obviously wanted before giving in to his desires.

Asami knew the eyes he was currently staring into were not the eyes he wanted to see the first time he took Akihito, the boy below him, while thoroughly tempting and beautiful in his own way, was not the clumsy and shy Akihito he wanted to watch undress for him in the darkness of his room, to have touch him with shy and tentative hands, unexperienced and pure and perfect. Everything Asami had always dreamed of in a bed partner.

He wanted to coax Akihito, let him explore his own body as well as Asami's and make him submit to him himself, beg for Asami to touch him. While having the boy below him willingly, offering himself was blissful in its own right, he knew it was not the Akihito he wanted to bed, and recognized that he needed to end this before temptation drew him in once more like a moth to a flame.

Thinking quickly, Asami spoke without much of a plan as to what to say, deciding to wing it instead and see where it led him, "Akihito, its best if you go to sleep. You're not yourself right now and you need your rest more than anything. I want this, god I want this so bad, but I want this when you're healthy and ready and awake." Asami felt that reasoning with the blonde may be the best course of action, however he began to doubt this as the blue eyes hardened below him.

He reached a hand down and stroked the downy soft blonde locks as the boy's lower lip trembled slightly, Asami was worried he had upset the boy as he saw tears fill in the pools of empty blue, he was not expecting the accompanying anger, though, and was completely unprepared for Akihito's reaction.

Before Asami knew what was happening the blonde began thrashing below him, held down only by Asami's weight on his hips, his blue eyes were cold as he glared at Asami, "You always fucking liked him better! Why!? Why am I not enough!? I'm perfect for you. I'm better than him!"

Asami grabbed the boy's wrists and pinned them to the bed, holding them as Akihito pushed against his restraint, desperately trying to free himself as his movements began to slow, his breathing labored and Asami feared the boy was having another panic attack. He pressed his lips against the blonde's temple as he slowed his movements, Asami could feel his heart beating wildly along with his own as he whispered soothing words into the blonde's ear whose eyes were drooping as he fought for consciousness.

Slowly but surely the boy went under and Asami felt for a pulse on one of the wrists he still possessed, breathing a sigh of relief when he felt it was normal and steady, indicating Akihito had truly fallen back asleep, and rubbed it gently with his thumb.

Sliding off the blonde Asami moved to the edge of the bed and slid his hands through his hair. What had just happened?

Akihito was obviously asleep, or, unconscious. Asami was not sure how the blonde quite described the sensation but thinking about it made his skin itch and the need for a cigarette to arise.

Standing, he picked up his discarded robe and wrapped it around himself once more before going over to where his suit jacket laid, digging in the pocket for his pack and a lighter.

He sat in a large chair with his back to the windows and began chain smoking, watching the blonde sleep fitfully, his eyelids twitching as he dreamt and a small frown tugging down his lips. He looked absolutely beautiful, even when dreaming, and Asami wondered how he was going to explain the markings on Akihito's body to him in the morning.

He supposed the truth may not be the best route, explain to Akihito that he had been unaware of his state until it was too late. Asami shook his head, flicking his cigarette; that was too cruel a lie, he knew something wasn't right the moment he saw Akihito standing in his office.

He had been weak, taken advantage of Akihito's vulnerable state. It shook him to his core, the idea that the boy had this much effect on him, that he could feel so much remorse for the actions he had committed, actions he would not have given a second thought to had it been someone else. And then there was what Akihito had said as he fought for consciousness, when his eyes stared hatefully into Asami's as his elevated heart rate and increased levels of stress responded by shutting his body down.

Who was this other man Akihito had been referring to?

* * *

When Akihito awoke again he felt sore, his skin was warm and covered by a thin sheet but there was a dull ache throughout his body, as well as several spots that just plain made him flinch as he moved.

Sitting up slowly, the first thing the blonde noticed was that he was completely nude. He practically jumped out of his skin, blue eyes wide as he scrambled to cover himself with the sheet and looked around the room for his clothing.

He noticed them lying discarded in front of the windows that now were open to the view of Tokyo below, the noise of the streets absent but the sensation still present. A large blush now forming on his cheeks, Akihito made sure there was no one else in the room before he stalked to where his discarded clothing laid and quickly pulled it on, rubbing his arms as he made his way into the bathroom.

He immediately began digging around, trying to find an extra toothbrush that he could use as well as where Asami kept items such as toothpaste, mouthwash and so forth. When he found his prizes he set them on the counter and looked into the mirror for the first time.

Akihito practically jumped out of his skin, he was unprepared for the large bruises and…were those teeth marks? Decorating his neck and left shoulder. He didn't remember waking up that night and he groaned loudly, wondering if he had an attack while asleep and tried to pick a fight with Asami. It would make sense why he was so sore, he was lucky the older man hadn't put a bullet between his eyes.

As he began brushing his teeth Akihito pondered on where the bite marks could have come from though, he touched them gently with his free hand and winced at the slight sting from the contact. Whatever it was, or whoever he supposed, had done a number on him for sure.

Spitting out his toothpaste and then rinsing his mouth Akihito pulled out a stick of what he assumed to be Asami's deodorant and sighed. The man would have to get over sharing this one day as Akihito wasn't sure he could go without using some.

When he finished freshening up Akihito made his way out of the bedroom and into the large living space and looked around, not seeing Asami anywhere. He was about to call out his name when he saw the door to his office ajar like the day before and headed over to it, knocking softly as he pushed it open.

Asami was at his desk, looking pristine as always, and on the phone completely ignoring Akihito's presence, much to the blonde's annoyance even if he would never admit it out loud.

Rather he settled himself in the large chair from the day before and waited as patiently as he could for the man to finish speaking. He couldn't understand much though as Asami was speaking English and he had only learned some basic vocabulary of the language, instead he focused his attentions on a small glass paperweight on the edge of Asami's desk and picked it up, admiring the way the light from the windows in front of him played off of it and made small rainbows on his skin, twirling it in his hands to see the way the light spun all over the room. He only realized the other man had stopped speaking when he heard Asami's amused chuckle from across the desk, causing him to stop spinning the object and drop it, it landing with a large thud on the wooden floors and rolling away until it hit the wall.

Akihito looked away guiltily, a blush forming over his cheeks, like a kid being caught playing with a fancy vase or priceless décor, "Uh…sorry. At least it didn't break…I think." He tried to reason but Asami's amused smirk only irritated him and made his blush increase.

"It's no matter. I hardly used it. How did you sleep?" He asked nonchalantly.

Akihito swallowed hard and looked away, chewing on his lower lip, "I'm not really sure. I felt well-rested when I woke up but I noticed I have some bruises and uh…bite marks," he mumbled, embarrassed as he knew Asami must have thought he was weak to let himself lose control like that, "I'm not really sure what happened but if I had to guess I probably tried to attack you or something in your sleep. Stupid, I know, but unconscious me didn't apparently. So thanks for not shooting me at least."

He shrugged, not making eye contact with Asami as he began fearing the worst. Perhaps the older man would berate him for his actions, or even demand some sort of compensation for the trouble he had obviously gone through regarding Akihito when he barely knew him.

Instead, Asami said something Akihito did not expect at all, "Akihito, I think it would be best if you spoke to a professional." As if sensing the boy's protest he held up a hand to stop him before continuing, "I'm concerned that your head injury has accelerated what causes your brain to shut down the way it does and that it could begin to become more harmful the longer it goes untreated. I am concerned for your safety and would like to pay for you to see a specialist as well as speak to someone to see if we can determine what exactly is causing this and if there is a method you can use to prevent the black outs, whether it be medication or–"

Akihito sat up abruptly, anger seething from his pours, "No. I told you no already, I don't need a fucking therapist or whatever you want to send me to. It's none of your fucking business anyways, why do you care so much? You hardly know me!" His blue eyes were wild with anger and hurt and his hands shook slightly with the tension.

Asami remained the ever calm, stoic figure he was as he spoke again, "Akihito calm down before you send yourself into another attack. It's not a bad thing to seek help for a problem that is affecting your life as majorly as this one is. Why are you so against letting me help you?" Akihito stared into his golden eyes and found only honesty and sincerity in them, he seemed earnest in helping him but why? He didn't need anyone's hand out, certainly not that of this arrogant man.

"I don't need to have this discussion with you. Where are my cameras? I'm leaving, I don't have to stay here and I'm healthy enough to go home, my head is fine and I know how to get to a fucking hospital if I need to. Why are you so pushy on a subject that is none of your business anyways!?" He asked as he stood up, intending to go searching himself when Asami gave no answers to the whereabouts of his personal belongings.

What he was not prepared for, however, was Asami's response to what he deemed a rhetorical question, "Because you made it my business last night Akihito when I found you snooping in my office and the naked in my bedroom attempting to seduce me." He said with ice in his voice, his eyes staring down Akihito in a challenge as the blonde let his words sink in.

Akihito fell back into the chair with a _thud,_ mortification running through his system at the thought that he had been naked…in front of Asami, that he had tried to _seduce_ him.

A new shade of red creeped up his neck and over his cheeks as Akihito covered his face with his hands in an attempt to block out the reality of the situation. His subconscious had really fucked him over that time and now he had made a giant embarrassment of himself in front of the older man. Not that he should care, it wasn't like he was developing feelings for the asshole anyways, but still it made his whole body burn with humiliation at what he was sure was an embarrassing attempt at seduction.

However he needed to try and save face, what little he could with his dignity already lying on the floor, "Well…ah, at least I know why I was naked when I woke up." He tried to laugh a little but it came out half a hysterical sob as he once again imagined himself clumsily falling all over himself in front of the Adonis sitting across from him. He definitely felt as if he was losing it.

Asami flinched slightly at the mention of his lack of clothing and cleared his throat, leaning back in his chair before speaking up, "I need to be honest with you though, Akihito. When I woke up last night and you were gone, I found you in my office and I knew something wasn't quite right. Your eyes seemed glazed over, like you were sleeping or dead. I knew you weren't awake but I still acted irrationally and impulsively when your, subconscious self I presume, attempted or rather, succeeded, at seducing me. It was me who left those bite marks on your neck."

Akihito wasn't sure if his face could get any redder, although this time if it was from anger or embarrassment he wasn't sure. "YOU did this to me!?" He asked heatedly as he touched the marks once more, "You fucking asshole! I was sitting here ready to curl up on myself and die of embarrassment at the thought of me trying to be seductive when I had no reason considering you feel for it. Jerk, tell me that first next time so I can try and retain some shred of my dignity!" The heated expression returned to his eyes as he full on glared and pouted at the now bewildered man sitting before him.

* * *

Asami blinked several times before letting out a small chuckle, he reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a pack of Dunhills and shook one out, lighting it as he watched Akihito glare at him.

He hadn't been expecting that reaction but he supposed things for the most part had been going better than he expected. Akihito wasn't angry at him for what he had done the night before and he seemed to have calmed down from the stress it had put on him. Now he just needed to convince the boy to talk to someone.

The words Akihito had spoken the night before still haunted him and made his blood turn to ice. He was tempted to tell the boy his true reasoning for wanting him to see someone but feared it would only scare the boy further into denial and increase his attempt to ignore the obvious underlying psychological issues that attributed to his condition.

When Akihito seemed to return to his normal self Asami tried again, "Akihito, I know it seems intimidating and embarrassing when you admit it's time to talk to someone, but there's no shame in receiving help when you need it. I am not judging you in any manner nor will anyone else. You do not have to tell anyone you are seeking help, it is completely confidential and will all be taken care of by me. All you will need to do is attend the appointments, I will personally accompany you to each one if it will make you feel better. But this is necessary for you to continue functioning, do you understand me?" Asami stared at the blonde in front of him, who was now staring at his lap and playing with the end of his shirt, his lower lip being nibbled between his teeth as he seemed to be in deep thought.

Asami sat back and let the boy contemplate, unaware he was holding his own breath before Akihito finally spoke, his voice hardly a whisper, "Okay…but I want to go alone. I mean, when I talk. I don't mind if you come and sit in the waiting room or whatever but, I want to talk to the person alone." Blue eyes looked up to stare into golden and Asami almost melted with the trust he saw in them, mixed with a small hint of fear and anxiety, but was grateful for Akihito's final acceptance.

Smirking, Asami decided teasing the blonde was in order to try and restore his cheeky attitude and lighten the mood, "Good, I'm glad you agree because your first appointment is in three hours. Your clothes are on the left side of the closet and your cameras in the second upper cabinet to the left of the fridge in the kitchen." Asami immediately returned to his paperwork, smirking and not bothering to look at the boy who he was sure was sitting with his mouth agape, eyes wide and ready to spit fire.

As if on cue Akihito spoke, "You put my cameras in the fucking _kitchen_!? What the hell is wrong with you!?" The blonde stood up in a huff, the large chair pushed back in the process and scarping over the floor, "And don't act so fucking cocky and nonchalant like you knew I was going to agree to this. Asshole, I bet you don't even have an appointment set already! You better hope you can get one you bastard otherwise you're gonna look like a real jerk!"

Asami had to stop himself from laughing at the boy who was rather riled up, he loved making Akihito boil and explode and this wasn't an exception, "Go get dressed Akihito, or I will drag you there in your pajamas."

The boy turned with a huff to exit the office, giving one last glare over his shoulder before he stormed out of the room and into what Asami could only presume to be the kitchen, making a ruckus as he searched for his beloved cameras.

Asami chuckled once more and began counting the seconds, he wondered how many it would take before Akihito would storm back into his office once more, eyes ablaze when he realized his cameras were not there after all, but tucked safely in the drawer of Asami's desk.

* * *

Akihito looked around nervously at the sterile waiting area Asami was currently ushering him into. He felt as if could bolt any moment but he knew Asami wouldn't let him get very far. He wasn't sure what it was but something about doctors had always scared him, doctors any kinds whether they be medical or mental health, and this was not an exception.

A firm hand on his shoulder brought him back to reality and he looked up to meet Asami's calm gaze and instantly felt better. He was glad he had asked the older man to accompany him, his presence alone offered an overwhelming amount of support that Akihito would desperately need before and after his appointment.

Asami steered him to a small sitting area and sat him in a comfortable chair while he went to check the blonde in with the secretary. Akihito looked around nervously, fidgeting slightly and attempted to focus on the room itself in the absence of Asami.

There was a small flat screen in the corner with the news on, they were covering the reports of the mysterious murders that had been taking place all around Tokyo. No one knew who was committing them or why but they were particularly gruesome and only seeming to escalate and the police had no potential suspects or leads. It made Akihito shudder at the thought of who could commit such cruel and violent acts as he watched the photos of the victims flash across the screen. He was sure he had seen these people before but he wasn't quite sure where. He figured he must have seen them on the news prior and that's why they had seemed so familiar, after all the story was plastered all over the networks, especially since they had found connections to past murders that they had initially believed to be random acts of violence. It seemed as if the perpetrator had been killing for at least ten years but had only recently began going on what they referred to as a spree.

Asami's voice jolted him out of his thoughts as the towering man returned to his side and placed a comforting palm on his shoulder once more, "You can go ahead and go back now. I'll be waiting right here for you alright?"

Akihito nodded and stood up before heading to where a pretty nurse stood waiting with a chart in her hand, smiling at him comfortingly. He looked back over his shoulder once more at Asami who gave him a nod of encouragement before crossing the threshold of the double doors.

* * *

Asami was in the midst of filling out paperwork when he heard the television and he looked at it out of the corner of his eye. They were discussing the killer and the evidence found, including that of what Asami turned over to his men inside the department when he was done investigating himself, and couldn't help but feel a rise of excitement in his skin, his heart accelerating slightly as he thought of the game. It had been a few days since he had heard or seen anything and he was starting to wonder if the killer had grown bored of their game and abandoned it. The thought made Asami frown and he turned after handing the completed paperwork over to the secretary to watch the television fully.

The news continued to drone with the same useless information they had been for days and he glanced in the direction of Akihito instead to insure the blonde was still conscious and hadn't made a run for it in a blind panic.

However Akihito was transfixed on the television, his eyes glimmered as he stared at the images and he seemed completely lost in thought at the reporter spoke of the brutality that had been committed.

The look in Akihito's eyes made Asami's blood freeze and he stood frozen, transfixed himself until he heard the secretary speaking to him, informing him the psychologist was ready to meet with Akihito.

He nodded at her before heading over to the blonde and tried to shake off the obvious disturbed feeling he had from watching him moments prior.

After some slight encouragement he managed to get Akihito out of the waiting room and he sat down in the chair himself, letting out a sigh as he watched him go.

What had he gotten himself into?

* * *

Akihito followed the nurse obediently, he crossed his arms and rubbed the opposite biceps nervously trying to find something to do with his hands as he felt impending doom crashing down around him. It wasn't until the nurse stopped in front of a door and knocked that he realized just what he was about to do.

He considered running but hesitated too long as the door was suddenly opened and he was being ushered inside, the door closing behind him with a soft click.

He looked around the office filled with ceiling high bookcases and a large desk off to one corner. There was a couch to the side and a small set of arm chairs opposite it. Akihito admired the tastefully done décor that held a beautiful sense of tradition and antiquity without making the space feel cluttered or oppressive.

Sitting behind the desk was one of the most beautiful men Akihito had laid eyes on, _aside from Asami_ he thought quickly, with long raven hair and sharp features accented by emerald eyes. He smiled at Akihito and gestured to the couch as he spoke, his voice matching the elegance and grace of his presence, "Takaba-sama? My name is Feilong, I'll be your doctor. Please, take a seat."

Akihito glanced nervously at the couch and back to Feilong but nodded before settling himself one of the large plush cushions. He practically sank into it and struggled to sit upright not wanting to feel like was drowning the entire time he was here.

Feilong finished what he was doing before standing up and moving to one of the armchairs across from the couch. He had a notepad in his hand along with a pen and sat gracefully, crossing one leg over the other before he smiled kindly at Akihito, "Would you be uncomfortable if I take notes?"

Akihito stared at him with bewildered blue eyes before he shook his head. It was all confidential anyways, right? Notes wouldn't hurt anything.

Feilong smiled once more before he began speaking, "Now, Takaba-sama, I've been informed you're rather nervous in regards to speaking with me today–"

"Akihito. Please, call me Akihito."

"Akihito." Feilong grinned, "I know you are rather nervous, however I want to assure you that you are in a safe environment here and that it is alright for you to open up if you so desire. However I will not push you to speak about topics you are uncomfortable with so do not hesitate to say if something is making you upset. At the same time I encourage you to work past your fears and discomfort so that we may find a solution for what is plaguing you."

Akihito nodded in affirmation, feeling slightly overwhelmed already and wrapped his arms around himself. He needed to be strong, he needed to be honest with himself. He was miserable and truly wanted to fix whatever it was that made him so vulnerable. He knew the blackouts would probably never go away, but perhaps if they could find what was causing them he would be able to take more preventative measures.

Feilong paused to let Akihito gather himself, for which he was grateful, before he spoke again, "I'm sure you're already quite overwhelmed today so we will just talk a bit about you so that I am able to get to know you better. Is that alright?" Akihito nodded once more, "You're twenty-three, how long have you lived on your own?"  
Akihito jolted slightly at the question, he was expecting things like his favorite color or what he liked to eat, but he swallowed his fear and willed himself to answer, "I, ah, let's see. When I was thirteen I officially moved in with my best friend Kou. I lived with him and his parents were my legal guarding until I was sixteen. After that I emancipated myself so that I could go to the states for a few months as an assistant to this photographer I had been apprenticing under."

"The states? Did you enjoy your time there?"

"Ah, I never got to go. It really was disappointing to, I even tried to learn some English for the trip but the photographer died about a week before we were supposed to leave."

"Died? That's rather unfortunate, how did you cope with the loss?"  
"Okay I guess." Akihito shrugged, "Death isn't really…a big deal to me I suppose. It doesn't faze me for some reason, never has, I blame it on all the horror movies I watched as a kid." He laughed softly and relaxed hearing Feilong chuckle as well, "I remember it was really weird though, he was murdered in his own studio. The police never figured out who did it. I honestly forgot about it pretty soon after since I got a job for a local magazine."

Feilong nodded and waited to see if Akihito was going to continue before speaking himself, "I see. Why did you move in with your friend at such a young age?"

Akihito looked away, discomfort travelling up his spine and spreading through his bloodstream, "My mom, ah, she died. Kou's parents were like my second home and they took me in without a second thought, they loved and supported me as much as they did Kou. I had practically lived there beforehand anyways and they already knew about my uh, blackouts, and were equipped to deal with them."

"Do you remember much of your mother?"

Akihito nodded, then shook his head almost immediately, "Yes and no. I remember what she looked like, and the way she smelled. How she would take me to the market with her and let me pick out fruits. She used to laugh at me because I was spend forever looking through all of them and in the end I'd always end up picking an orange from the same basket of the same vendor. He even knew my name and would place aside ones that he thought I would like best to pick from."

The small smile on Akihito's lips was traced with a hint of sadness that Feilong did not miss. As he scribbled notes and smiled encouragingly at Akihito to continue.

"Anyways, I guess I really remember more of the idea of her rather than her as an actual person. It's just been so long. The only thing that assures me she was a real person was the keychain she gave me when I got my first house key, well, was the only thing. I lost it a few weeks back."

Feilong nodded once more, "That's understandable considering your age at her death. The older one gets the more dream like their memories begin to feel so it's understandable that your most realistic association would be with that of an object." He began scribbling more notes before he cleared his throat.

"What about your father, Akihito?"

What about his father? Akihito had no clue who he was, no memory of him whatsoever. He shook his head, a bad feeling curling in the pit of his stomach as his thoughts fluttered in his mind, "I don't want to talk about that."

Feilong smiled and wrote something down before continuing, "About your blackouts, would you mind giving me an idea of what they're like?"

Akihito nodded and launched into the same explanation he had given Asami only the day prior. By the time he had finished Feilong had been steadily writing things down and he felt exhausted and ready to take a nap.

As if on cue Feilong glanced upwards at a clock in the corner of the room before he spoke, "It seems it's been almost an hour and a half. Asami must be getting anxious waiting on you and you seem rather tired yourself. There's much more I'd like to learn about you but I'd rather not push your anxiety too much so we'll call it an end here today."

Feilong stood just as gracefully as he sat and Akihito felt relief wash through him. He had made it, the first appointment was over. It wasn't so bad he supposed, it couldn't get worse from there at least.

As he stood Feilong himself led Akihito down the hallway and into the large waiting are where Asami was still at, now joined by Kirishima. The two seemed to be talking intimately about something when Feilong cleared his throat, interrupting them.

"Akihito and I are finished for today. I'll see you at the end of the week, alright?" He directed at Akihito who nodded, feeling much calmer with Asami nearby.

Asami smiled and stood, ruffling the blonde's hair who began to protest before Asami cut him off, "Akihito, go to the limo with Kirishima. I need to take care of a few things and will be there in a moment. Behave and I'll take you to get sushi."

He smirked and Akihito glared at the older man, "Bastard, I'm not some kid you can bribe with food." However Akihito's stomach took that moment to growl and Asami and Feilong both could not help themselves from letting out a small laugh, even Kirishima was smirking much to Akihito's annoyance.

He growled and turned on his heel, stomping out the door with Kirishima in tow.

Asami was definitely buying him sushi now.

* * *

When Akihito was completely out of earshot he turned to Feilong, speaking quietly, "Well, what do you think?"

Feilong glared at Asami, "I've only had one session with the boy Asami so I don't know much. What I will tell you is I think he's deeply disturbed by some traumatic from his childhood. If I had to guess it would be surrounding his mother as he seems to have very little recollection of her, none whatsoever of his father."

Asami stared for a moment, thinking quietly before he spoke, "That's odd. When I looked into his background there was no indication that his father was not in the picture. He actually died with Akihito's mother."

Feilong nodded but held up a hand to stop Asami from continuing, "While I appreciate the information, I feel this is something I need to hear directly from Akihito in order to fully and accurately assess him. As of now I believe you need to keep a close eye on him and ensure he does not become too worked up. He should stop having random attacks where he blacks out as his head injury heals so you shouldn't need to worry too much about that."

Asami nodded as he listened to his old friend, "Do you think there's anything that can be done to help him?"

Feilong's lips pursed in a tight line as he stared at Asami, thinking carefully of what he was going to say, "I cannot guarantee anything, Asami, especially not this early on. I will say that there is a chance, as of this moment, that I can help him, to what extent I'm not sure."

Asami nodded before saying his goodbyes and heading to the awaiting limo. That would have to do for now.

* * *

A.N. I really wanted to include Feilong but I didn't feel like that story could handle another arc of drama with Akihito's dilemma being problematic enough, so instead I made him Akihito's psychologist! Sorry if I misuse any medical terms/if this is not a realistic interaction between a doctor and a patient. Thank you so much for reading and thank you for your feedback, I hope you enjoyed!


	9. Chapter 9

Hello everyone! Sorry it's been so long, I went back to school and got really busy and it's no excuse but still. I didn't have time to edit this chapter so sorry for any mistakes. Also I've never written smut so I hope it's okay. P.S. I'm really worried Asami seems OOC so I hope that's not the case. Enjoy!

Chapter 9

Akihito sighed as he leaned against the door to the limo, exhausted from his session with Feilong and full of expensive sushi on Asami's dime, he was ready to fall asleep then and there when the presence of the aforementioned man made itself known. He cracked open an eye and watched Asami who was busily speaking into his phone in English so rapidly Akihito couldn't understand a word. He had been on the phone for quite a while now, having left the table and all the sushi to Akihito to answer a call halfway through the meal. Akihito was more than willing to finish Asami's share of food but found himself slightly perturbed at being ignored for a phone call.

Why, though? Asami didn't owe him anything, much less his obviously valuable time, and Akihito had no reason to want the man's attention so badly. They hardly knew one another and their relationship was purely professional.

Akihito snorted out loud at that though causing a pair of golden eyes to briefly glance in his direction. The professionalism was lost the moment Akihito had followed, or rather been dragged, to the man's office. Not to mention the kindness Asami had been showing him regarding his mental health and precarious situation. He had even volunteered to observe Akihito after he had been diagnosed with his concussion. The man was obviously busy but had still given up his time these past few days to be with him and Akihito suddenly felt guilty.

It was obvious Asami was interested in him, at least to some extent, and Akihito had been nothing but a burden freeloading in Asami's beautiful penthouse and eating exorbitant amounts of sushi on Asami's tab while taking advantage of his offers for help. He really should thank the older man but he wasn't sure how to go about it.

Just saying the words seemed lame and unappreciative based on how much Asami had done. He supposed he could…

Akihito began blushing at the thought and immediately shook his head. He was embarrassed enough that he had slept in the same bed, even cuddled with Asami. He wasn't bold enough to offer himself like that.

Akihito chewed on his thumb nail, staring out the window as he listened to Asami speak, the foreign language calming and lulling him into a relaxed state as he contemplated ways to thank Asami.

He should do it soon and then return home. He didn't want to overstay his welcome or wait for Asami to have to tell him to leave. Perhaps he could make him a nice dinner, thank him for all of his help and give him the final prints from Sion before heading out.

He was beginning to miss the claustrophobic feeling of his apartment and he wanted to get back to work. He was itching to chase down a criminal or do a stake out and being in Asami's home without his equipment and his movement restricted was making that difficult.

It was decided then. He would cook Asami a nice dinner, give him a sincere "Thanks for everything" and go home after slipping him a file with the edited pictures. After that he would be able to return to his normal life, he was sure his landlady had been looking for him and he couldn't even begin to imagine the annoyed messages from his editor that would be awaiting him on his answering machine.

Akihito enjoyed Asami's company, was really grateful for what he had done for him, but it was time to get back to his routine. Feilong was kind but Akihito knew he would not be able to afford the man's services and he couldn't let Asami continue to pay for his sessions. He had done alright so far in his life and would be okay without them and would much rather not be in the debt of the powerful man. Even though Asami had already offered to cover all the expense Akihito knew it would be selfish to take advantage, not to mention he didn't need the man's charity.

When Akihito looked out the window again he realized they were pulling into the garage of the penthouse and sighed, stretching his arms above his head before clambering out of the vehicle as it rolled to a stop.

Asami was still busy on the phone and waited to end his call before exiting the limo. Akihito glanced nervously as he thought of ways he would approach the sensitive topic with him, hoping to not offend him in any way. As if sensing Akihito's eyes on him, Asami spoke, "What's the matter, Akihito?"

"N-nothing. Just in my own head." Akihito laughed slightly and rapped his knuckles gently against his skull as he followed Asami into the elevator. The golden eyed man watched him curiously for a moment and Akihito began to worry that Asami would continue to question him.

However he remained silent as the elevator soared to the penthouse, Asami walking hurriedly out of the elevator towards the apartment door and not waiting for Akihito.

The latter hurried to catch up and stopped in the living room when they entered, watching Asami immediately head into the bedroom. Confused, Akihito waited a few moments before Asami returned, changed and looking completely refreshed with a new cigarette hanging unlit from his lips.

"I need to go into work. An emergency has come up that I cannot put off. You're welcome to use the apartment as you see fit, there will be a guard posted outside the front door. Do not go anywhere without him while I'm gone Akihito." Asami smirked playfully at the blonde as he adjusted his watch.

"Wait, what do you mean-" Akihito was cut off by three sharp raps at the door and Asami's call of "Enter." Revealing Kirishima behind the door.

"Asami-sama, the car is ready and waiting. Suoh is at the club along with the manager."

Asami nodded and walked towards Akihito, patting him on the head like a child before calling, "Be good." Over his shoulder as he hurried from the apartment with Kirishima in tow.

Akihito huffed indignantly at the treatment. He wasn't a kid damn it, and he couldn't be confined to this place.

Groaning out loud, Akihito threw his hands up in the air and resolved that he would leave as soon as Asami returned, whenever that would be.

Frustrated with being cut off before he could make a hasty exit, Akihito resolved to enjoy the last few hours that he had in the penthouse and began raiding Asami's fridge for expensive imported beer while deciding what he would watch on the large flat screen in the living room.

* * *

Asami exhaled slowly, the cigarette smoke clouding his vision for a few brief second before he was once more staring at the partition in the limousine. Akihito was obviously beginning to feel restless and Asami knew it wouldn't be long before he took his leave.

Well, tried to. Asami would be damned if he let the boy out of his sights again.

Shaking his head, Asami tried to reason with himself, however it didn't come easy when regarding the beautiful blonde that was most likely now sprawled across his sofa half asleep.

Akihito was a free spirit, and Asami was dark and cruel, much unlike the kind self he had been showing Akihito these past few days. He was a ruthless crime lord, the most powerful man in Asia, and having a cute little blonde warming his bed was asking for trouble from his enemies.

Especially when he happened to enjoy said blonde's presence.

Deciding now was not the time Asami lowered the partition to reveal Suoh in the driver's seat, Kirishima dutifully by his side tapping away on a tablet, "What's our ETA?"

Suoh spoke clearly, not taking his eyes of the road, "Five minutes, traffic is clear tonight. Sudou is awaiting your arrival and the troublemakers are currently being held in the basement."

"Are they from any particular group?"

Kirishima spoke up this time, adjusting his glasses as he did, "From the Eto group." When Asami didn't respond, Kirishima continued, "They're small and relatively harmless. However lately they have been caught selling drugs closer to our territory and have been attempting to rub shoulders with some of the more established groups."

Asami "Hnn'd" before lighting another cigarette and taking a deep drag, "How much did they find?"

"Not much. Sudou was smart enough to have most of it hidden behind locked safes or well-guarded however they recovered files on Dracaena employees as well as some invoices for recent purchases for the club. All legal, alcohol, food and so forth. Nothing incriminating or potentially threatening but the intention was there. Records indicate they were rejected from both Sion and the new club Vortex before arriving at Dracaena and being admitted."

"Has Sudou explained why they were admitted to Dracaena to begin with?"

Kirishima shook his head, "He was adamant he speak with you directly. He claimed he could explain everything to you once you arrived. I have extra security on the property in case he attempts to pull something stupid to get out of this."

Asami nodded absently and furrowed his brows. Sudou had been a regular problem lately and he had been looking for a manager to replace him. No suitable candidates had been found yet, however Sudou couldn't seem to stop fucking things up.

The limo rolled to a stop and Kirishima was out and opening the door for Asami as he stubbed the last bit of his cigarette and got out, adjusting his coat and breathing in the cool night air.

It wouldn't be long before winter creeped upon them and he started to wonder how Akihito kept warm in his apartment. From the extensive search it was made clear that the heat sparsely worked in the building and Akihito rarely activated it.

Perhaps he could use the cold winter to his advantage in convincing Akihito stay in his apartment. Smirking, Asami let the thought mull over before it was interrupted by Kirishima clearing his throat.

"Asami-sama, Sudou is in the private room upstairs. How would you like to proceed?"

"Send Suoh to the basement and have him begin teaching the punks a lesson about snooping into my business, don't kill them though." Suoh looked slightly surprised before Asami continued, "I'll take that pleasure myself once I'm done dealing with Sudou's incompetence. He's made too many mistakes. Kirishima, speed up the process to find a new club manager for Dracaena. Until one is found clear several of the senior staff and ensure they have no personal ties to Sudou before having them handle the duties until a new manager is found."

Kirishima began busily typing away while Suoh headed in the opposite direction for the basement. Asami stepped into the elevator and checked his watch.

Akihito would be going to bed soon, if he hadn't already passed out on the couch, and Asami was eager to return home to him. Having been interrupted during dinner had irked him greatly and he wished nothing more than to smother Sudou for taking him away from something so important, especially after Akihito's first session today with Feilong.

The other man had warned him Akihito might be sensitive after his first few sessions and he was eager to get back and assure himself the blonde was doing well.

The sound of the elevator door opening broke Asami from his thoughts and he squared his shoulders, chastising himself for getting so easily distracted by the blonde and became determined to focus on the task at hand.

Walking quickly down the hallway with Kirishima behind him, Asami entered the private room without knocking to reveal Sudou standing in the center of the room with his back to the door.

The man visibly jumped and turned quickly to greet Asami, smiling brightly as he did so, "Asami-sama! Please, have a seat. It's always a treat when you visit Dracaena."

Asami, in no mood for games, sat in the large plush chair with Kirishima silently behind him before lighting a cigarette. His face was dark, eyes cold and hard and he looked at Sudou with contempt, "It's rather unfortunate that my visit here today is once more due to your incompetence as one of my employees Sudou."

"I can explain this, Asami-sama. You see, the bouncers out front were overwhelmed by a sudden crowd influx trying to storm the front doors. During this the men from the Eto group were able to sneak in with the rush, my guess they caused it so they could enter. While the chaos out front was being calmed, I was on the floor assuring guests that everything was alright and keeping order inside the building. Everyone was so consumed no one noticed the three men sneak up the emergency stairwell. When I returned to my office after everything had been resolved I found them and immediately had security apprehend and detain them for your arrival." Sudou finished quickly, slightly out of breath after the long rambling explanation.

"So," Asami exhaled his cigarette before continuing, "You're telling me that your security is too incompetent to handle a minor crowd and therefore a huge security breech occurred. Due to your lack of training and enforcement for policy." Sudou's hand shot up to the arm of Asami's chair as he kneeled before the older man, ready to launch into another explanation but silenced when Asami stubbed his still burning cigarette out on the intruding hand and fixed him with a cold stare. "When I hired you as manager of Dracaena it was with the intention that you were competent enough to handle the affairs of the club, including the training and seeing over of the staff's actions. Tonight has once more proved that you are unable to meet the expectations set out as manager of Dracaena."

Sudou let out a cry of pain and wrenched his hand back as the small burn mark began to cool, before looking up at Asami once more, "Please, Asami-sama. I can fix this."

"No." Asami quickly stood up and buttoned his suit coat, not bothering to look down at the man kneeling before him, "Sudou your actions will have consequences. As of this moment you are no longer manager of Dracaena. You will report to Sion tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. sharp where we will further discuss your future."

Without a second glance Asami stalked out of the room, leaving a devastated Sudou in his wake.

* * *

It was several hours later and well into the night when Asami stepped back from mess of bodies in front of him. His sleeves were rolled to the elbows and a bit of blood splattered his otherwise crisp white shirt.

With a smirk, he dropped the hunting knife he had just used to hack off a finger from each man before turning to Kirishima, "Make sure Eto gets a message not to fuck with me again. Send their fingers along with it and dispose of the rest of the bodies. If any of their men are found in or even near our territory again kill them on sight."

Without another word Asami left the basement level with Kirishima following, a sympathetic glance backwards from the latter as he spoke quickly into his phone in Suoh's direction before he followed his boss out.

Suoh sighed as he began the clean-up process, being sure to set aside the fingers to be picked up later once Kirishima had made arrangement. A quick glance upwards revealed the time and a small groan escaped his lips as Suoh resolved himself to another sleepless night.

* * *

Akihito jolted awake when he heard the front door open and immediately looked around in a panic, the living room dark the television playing some late night program in the background. Asami appeared within moments and Akihito let out an audible sigh of relief before flopping backwards onto the couch again. His lower back ached from the awkward position in which he had fallen asleep and he shifted awkwardly until he was in a more comfortable position. Asami smirked at him as he removed his coat and Akihito glared back in response, not fully awake and much less in the mood to talk.

What time was it anyways?

As if sensing Akihito's distress, Asami approached the couch and lifted the boy's upper half, sitting before resting Akihito's head in his lap and smirking down at the still half asleep boy, "Enjoy your evening?"

"Shut up, what time is it even?" Akihito threw an arm over his eyes as Asami stroked his hair thoughtfully, "What kind of person works at this time of night?"

"Why didn't you go to bed, Akihito?" Asami asked as if it was the simplest thing in the world, his voice smooth like velvet which annoyed Akihito as much as it aroused him.

"What bed? Yours? You're crazy." Akihito snorted, "As if I'd sleep in the same bed as you."

"I don't recall being in the bed." Akihito could practically hear the smirk and fought the urge to scream.

"Yeah but you'd get in it whenever you returned home. That was a one-time thing when I slept in bed with you." Akihito lifted his arm to glare a bit before lowering it once more, "I was in a bad place and didn't know what I was doing."

Asami chuckled slightly but didn't reply, instead he slid his hand over Akihito's chest and down over his hip, resting it there for a few moments before finally speaking up, "Did you know what you were doing the night you went to my office with me?"

Akihito jumped up indignantly, fully awake now a he stared heatedly at the older man, his face bright red, "I-I was practically dragged! You cornered me and…" Akihito trailed off as he knew there really was no defense. Sure, Asami had approached him, but he didn't say no. In fact he was rather enjoying himself until he blacked out.

Flustered, Akihito attempted to scramble out of the older man's reach but was quickly yanked backwards and placed in Asami's lap.

Akihito shivered as he felt Asami's warm breath on the back of his neck trail as he pressed his lips against his ears, murmuring, "Perhaps another attempt is in order, no?"

Akihito let out an involuntary moan at the low sound of Asami's baritone so close to his ear, the older man's large hands splaying over his chest and stomach, lean fingers brushing against nipples through his thin t-shirt.

Asami nibbled gently on Akihito's earlobe and brushed his fingers up and over Akihito's collar bone before sliding them under the blonde's t-shirt, running them over Akihito's slightly hardened nipples before gripping one between two fingers and rolling it gently before giving a small tug, eliciting another small moan from the now complicit blonde.

Akihito was beginning to feel light headed, his mind clouding as Asami's hands roamed his body and it took all his willpower to stay straight when Asami stood him up before standing himself and picking the blonde up by his waist and throwing them over his shoulder.

Snapped out of his haze, Akihito's fire returned and he began pounding halfheartedly on Asami's back, "Hey, put me down! What the fuck, I'm not a rag doll damn it! Hey, listen to me!"

Asami ignored the blonde's protests and instead entered his bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him and tossing the blonde on his large bed with a soft _thump._

Akihito glared up at the older man and attempted to sit up on his elbows but was pushed down with a large hand on his chest as Asami leaned down and kissed him harshly, closing his mouth over the blonde's and immediately exploring it with him tongue.

The blonde continued to try and protest but gradually leaned upwards into the kiss, closing his eyes and moaning in the back of his throat as he fought Asami's tongue for dominance. The older man was much more experienced and Akihito was no match for him and he was soon panting for breath while Asami simply smirked down at him.

"Bastard, you can't go around taking advantage of people like that you know." Akihito huffed out, glaring but didn't attempt to move from his current position pinned under the older man.

Asami let out a small laugh before pressed his lips against the corner of Akihito's mouth, "It's hardly taking advantage when you respond so eagerly. If you weren't interested in where this was going you would have tried much harder to escape by now."

Akihito looked away, blushing creeping up his neck as Asami teased him. It wasn't his fault, he just wasn't really experienced with this and Asami seemed to be an expert. The older man would laugh at him though if he admitted that out loud and Akihito resolved to keep up his indifferent attitude instead.

As if sensing his discomfort, Asami leaned forward to trail a line of kisses up the side of Akihito's throat and along his jawline to his ear before murmuring, "What's the matter Akihito? Are you nervous because you're a virgin?"

Asami was already smirking as he moved back to see the shocked look on Akihito's face who was redder than Asami thought possible. The blonde began sputtering denial before he mumbled out, "Is it that obvious?"

Obviously feeling slightly ashamed and embarrassed in Asami's presence, Akihito looked down before he felt fingers grab his chin and tilt it up. Asami's eyes didn't hold the mocking smirk Akihito expected and instead comforted him, "It's nothing to be ashamed of Akihito. Let me make this enjoyable for you."

With that Asami sealed Akihito's lips with a searing kiss as he grabbed fistfuls of the boy's shirt and briefly broke the kiss long enough to lift it over his head before moving downwards to kiss along the blonde's collarbone to his chest, stopping briefly to swirl his tongue around a nipple, brushing the other with the rough pad of his thumb and looking up to see Akihito staring down at him with lustful eyes, a hint of fear but trust in them as well that tugged at something inside Asami before continued downwards.

Slipping his fingers over the waistband of Akihito's briefs, Asami smirked at the blond before tugging them down over long – impossibly long – toned legs and tossing them before gripping Akihito's already dripping cock in his hand stroking it several times to full length.

Akihito let out a loud moan when Asami's fingers contacted with the sensitive flesh and closed his eyes, breathing heavily with his lips parted as Asami stroked him slowly and confidently, occasionally brushing the pad of his thumb over the sensitive head. After what felt like hours to Akihito but was merely minutes Asami dipped his head down to wrap his lips around the head, sucking it slowly while watching Akihito's face twitch, the blonde gripping the sheets with one hand and hesitantly grabbing a fistful of Asami's hair with the other.

Asami's mouth felt like intense fire to Akihito and let out strangled cries of pleasure mixed with moans as he let these new sensations wash over him, pleasure radiating from his every pore as he focused completely on Asami. At this rate he wouldn't last long, Asami's masterful mouth was already edging him towards orgasm and he wasn't sure if he could stop himself.

Asami watched him intently as he continued to work Akihito's cock with his hand slowly while he swirled his tongue around the already dripping head, golden eyes smoldering as bright blue watched him anxiously, clouded with lust.

When he felt Akihito was finally comfortable Asami began taking more into his mouth, moving back but then taking a bit more in each time before Akihito's cock was fully seated in his throat and the boy was moaning freely now, his cock twitching in Asami's throat and hand much more confidently gripping and tugging his hair.

Asami gripped Akihito's hips with both hands and began pulling back before deep throating Akihito once more, the head of his cock brushing the back of Asami's throat and repeating this several times before he felt the blonde's body tense and Akihito let out a strangled cry as he came, Asami swallowing every last drop as he watched Akihito's face in orgasm, completely overcome by lust at the sight as Akihito's body twitched in pleasure.

When Akihito's orgasm finished Asami slowly sat up and pressed his lips against Akihito's jaw, the blonde still breathing heavily as he came down from his high and Asami brushed his hands over Akihito's ribcage and comforting motions as he waited for the blonde to calm down.

Once he seemed to regain control of himself Akihito blushed as he glanced at Asami, overwhelmed by the experience he just had and embarrassed at how he had acted in the heat of the moment.

However instead of disgust or mocking Akihito found comfort once more in Asami's eyes.

"That' wasn't so bad, was it?" Asami murmured, pressing soft kisses along Akihito's throat as he slid a hand up to cup the blonde's face, stroking his cheek with his thumb.

Akihito could only shake his head in response before slowing his eyes once more. Asami pressed a chaste kiss against Akihito's lips before he stood up, Akihito opening his eyes to watch him as Asami began stripping before climbing back into bed and pulling the blonde on top of him, holding him tightly in his arms.

As he became more aware of surrounding Akihito noticed the heavy bulge pressing into his thigh and realized it was only polite he offered to return the favor. He was feeling bold after Asami's encouraging words and sat up on Asami's lap.

The older man looked up at him quizzically and was about to speak before Akihito cut him off with a kiss, immediately attempting to take dominance over Asami's tongue, the older man relenting and letting Akihito explore.

Small hands trembled slightly as they mimicked Asami's movements from earlier, Akihito memorizing the hard lines of Asami's body before pulling back and panting desperately for breath.

Blue eyes locked on gold and Akihito refused to break eye contact and attempted Asami's trademark smirk before murmuring, "Let me try on you now."

Asami felt as if all the air in his body had been knocked out of him as this trembling, nervous Akihito sat across his thighs and experimentally wrapped his hand around Asami's dripping cock.

A loud groan escaped his lips and Asami covered his mouth with the back of his hand as he watched Akihito tug slowly, experimenting and watching his cock twitch intensely as he played with the steadily leaking pre cum rubbing it over the head in fascination.

Asami fought the urge to grab the boy by the back of the skull and force himself all the way to the back of the blonde's throat and instead let the boy experimentally stroke him as he tried to hold back his already building orgasm.

Akihito lifted the fingers covered in Asami's pre cum and hesitantly licked the fluid off of them, blue eyes flicking to gold in search for approval. He was met with pupils blown full with lust, almost no gold visible as Asami watched him intently lick his fingers clean before he shifted downwards and inhaled the musky scent of Asami's cock, familiarizing himself with it before pressing the tip of his tongue against the underside of the base and licking straight up to the tip.

It took all of Asami's will power not to cum then and there and he made a strangled choking noise and Akihito licked and kissed along the length of his cock before his full lips finally wrapped around the head and began sucking greedily.

Asami's hand automatically went to Akihito's hair and gripped it tightly, pushing the boy down slightly and encouraging him to take more of his cock as Akihito adjusted to the size and weight in his throat.

After several attempts Akihito looked up with bright clear eyes at Asami, his nose buried firmly in the fine hairs at the base of Asami's cock and Asami pulled his head back slightly before pushing it down again, guiding Akihito who quickly picked up a rhythm as he sucked Asami with enthusiasm.

It wasn't long before Asami tugged at the hairs at the base of Akihito's neck, attempting to warn him off as he felt himself close to orgasm. Instead it only sped the blonde up, who was determined to see Asami through the end.

Within moments Asami let out a strangled cry and pushed the blonde's head down forcefully to the base of his cock as he came, holding him there as he rode out his orgasm unaware until he felt hands hitting his thighs in an attempt to gain his attention.

Asami let go and Akihito sat up, breathing heavily and cum dribbled from the corner of his mouth and across hi bottom lip which was swollen. A small line of spit still connected from his mouth to the head of Asami's cock and Asami was sure he'd died and gone to heaven at the sight before him.

Sitting up, Asami grabbed Akihito's chin and licked the cum off his lip slowly before kissing him deeply, the blonde moaning into his mouth as desperately tried to engrave the taste of Akihito in his mind.

After a few moments Akihito was out of breath once more and Asami pulled back, pressing his forehead against the blonde's as they both tried to calm their erratic heartbeats.

Once his breathing evened out Akihito finally spoke, "How was that?"

Asami broke out into a grin and pressed a swift kiss to Akihito's lips before murmuring against them, "Absolutely amazing. You're a natural."

It was Akihito's turn to grin and Asami picked the boy up and sat him to the side before getting up and heading into the bathroom for a brief moment before returning with a wet cloth.

After quickly wiping them both down Asami grabbed the blonde around the waist and pulled him against him in bed, reveling in the warmth of the smaller body. He waited until he felt Akihito's breath even out before closing his own eyes and drifting off to sleep.

* * *

When he awoke he wasn't sure where he was. There was a large wall of tan muscle practically smothering him and the previous night's events came in like a flash.

Who knew the kid had it in him?

Anger suddenly bubbled up at the thought that he had been beaten to his goal. The little fuck would pay.

For now he supposed he'd take advantage of this opportunity and spend some quality time with the object of his affections.

After all, Asami wouldn't know any different. No one ever did.

* * *

Asami woke with a start and immediately sat up when he realized there was no longer a lithe body pressed against his in bed. Taking a few moments to collect himself, the previous night came to Asami and he smirked as he smelled food.

Within moments he was up and dressed in casual clothing before heading into the kitchen to see Akihito standing at the stove in nothing but his underwear and an apron cooking breakfast.

The blonde smiled at him and Asami took it as an invitation to stand behind him and wrap his arms around his waist, kissing the back of his neck. Instead he earned a slight smack on the hand with a spatula and Akihito chastised him, "Not while I'm cooking. Go sit down, it's almost done." He gestured towards the already set table and Asami obeyed, sitting at the far end of the table as he watched Akihito begin plating the breakfast.

"Here. I only make eggs fried so you better eat them." Akihito admonished before taking off his apron and sitting at the seat adjacent to Asami, "Itadakimasu!"

Akihito began hungrily wolfing down his food while Asami sipped his coffee and took a few small bites and watching the blonde out of the corner of his eye, blissfully unaware of who he was sitting across from.

* * *

A.N. Hope you enjoyed! Next time we'll see another session with Feilong! Also you haven't seen the last of Sudou!


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